Evaluating gelling-agent mixtures as potential substitutes for bacteriological agar: an approach by mixture design

Abstract

Gelling agents are components to solidify media cultures facilitating the isolation of microorganisms in pure cultures. Agar is the most used gelling agent in microbiological field because of properties like gelling temperature and a desirable texture (high firmness and low adhesiveness). A current problem with agar manufacture is that overexploitation of the algae Gelidium spp is affecting the species conservation and has increased agar’s market price by up to 300%. The aim of this research was to propose substitutes of bacteriological agar in terms of texture by using some reported gelling agents used by food and agroindustry. To determine the effects of the components on texture, were proposed a mixture-design screening to establish an optimal mixture that replace agar. The optimal result, according to the desirability function, were composed of arabic gum (2%), gelan gum (0.5%) and carrageenan (0.5%). This mixture exceeds the firmness of the reference matrix (agar at 2%) by 15% and is potentially 25% more cheaper and without significative statistical difference in growth CFU when compared to agar based media