GROWTH-ENHANCING MEDIA FOR MYCOBACTERIA

摘要

This invention provides a method for enhancing the growth of acid-fast microorganisms in culture comprising growing the acid-fast microorganisms in the presence of an aliphatic organic acid of 8-10 carbon atoms. The diagnosis of tuberculosis and many other mycobacterial diseases has been hampered by the slow growth of these organisms using currently available culture methods. The addition of octanoic acid to currently available agar and broth media formulations utilized for the cultivation of pathogenic mycobacteria results in a marked reduction in generation time with an increase in growth yield. The growth promoting activity of octanoic acid offers the potential for significantly more rapid diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases.