MacConkey Agar is a selective and differential culture medium used for the isolation of Gram-negative enteric bacteria. It contains bile salts and crystal violet that inhibit Gram-positive organisms, while lactose and neutral red allow differentiation between lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting bacteria. Lactose fermenters produce pink colonies, whereas non-fermenters appear colorless.
This medium is widely used in clinical, research, and diagnostic laboratories for the identification and study of enteric pathogens.
