Two New Media Apple Leaves Agar and Eggplant Leaves Agar for Identification of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Abstract

The fungus Cryptococcus neoformans possess a phenoloxidase enzyme ,an enzyme which catalyses the oxidation of phenolic substrates to melanin pigment .In this study ,we used two new media made from an extract of apple leaves and eggplant leaves and compared with classic medium sunflower seed agar. Results obtained after the culture of five isolates of C. neoformans and two isolates of  Candida albicans seven days at37^?C , showed that at48hours all isolates of C. neoformans were pigmented on both two media and produce brown colonies, while both isolates of C. albicans do not produce brown pigmented colonies on two media. Since C.albicans isolates do not produce the pigment ,apple leaves agar and eggplant leaves agar are useful as differential isolation media for the rapid identification of  C. neoformans.

Key words: Cryptococcus neoformans ,Melanin production,Apple leaves agar, Eggplant agar.