Evaluation of HiCrome differential agar for speciation of candida

Abstract

Background: In recent years, non-albicans Candida (NAC) are being increasingly reported in many laboratories. There is a need to diagnose them early as some of the species are resistant to antifungals. We evaluated the utility of HiCrome agar for speciation of Candida in comparison to conventional methods. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six isolates of Candida were speciated by morphology on corn meal agar (CMA), sugar assimilation tests (SAT), and HiCrome agar. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive and negative predictive values were obtained. Results: Sensitivity of HiCrome agar in identification of Candida albicans was 97.05%, C. tropicalis was 83.33%, C. glabrata 100%, and C. krusei 87.5%; and specificity was 98.07, 91.93, 92, and 92.30%, respectively. Conclusion: The present Candida differential agar is useful in identifying a few of the species. With further modifications this media may replace the need for conventional methods. The rapid availability of results and identification of species in mixed cultures is significant.