Isolation and identification of the yeasts from sputum or other clinical specimens using the medium containing pigments extract of gardenia jasminoides fruits.

Abstract

Colonial morphology of the various yeasts often encountered in sputum or other clinical specimens was investigated on the corn meal-potato-yeast extract agar medium (GJCPY) containing orange-yellow pigments extracted from Gardenia jasminoides fruits in hopes of differential identification on primary cultures. The results obtained are as follows. 1) Cryptococcus neoformans which is a medically important yeast and whose colony showed brown to purple brown on GJCPY medium was distinguishable not only from buff colored Cr. laurentii after one week incubation but also from Candida spp. 2) Colony color of Candida albicans, a most common species in sputum specimens and of Ca. parapsilosis, a rare isolate, remained unchanged even after 15 days incubation. 3) Ca. tropicalis, second common isolate from sputums and Ca. krusei, a rare isolate, formed a characteristic rough and wrinkled colonies that permit to differentiate them from others. 4) Rare isolates, Ca. guilliermondii and Ca. lusitaniae, turned to prussian blue within three days of incubation. 5) Torulopsis sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed glossy grayish blue or light blue after one week incubation. The findings clearly showed that Ga. jasminoides pigments medium was useful to the morphological differentiation of medically important yeasts that were often encountered in sputum or other clinical specimens.