MIU Medium is supplied by HiMedia. It is a sterile ready prepared media containing 10ml of orange coloured solution in bottles. MIU Medium is generally used for detection of motility, urease and indole production. It is advisable to store this ready prepared media between 2-8C. Composition (in gm/L) is as follows:

Casein enzymic hydrolysate (10.00)

Dextrose (1.00)

Sodium chloride (5.00)

Phenol red (0.01)

Agar (2.00)

FD048 (1.00)

MIU Medium Base is designed to detect motility, urease and indole production in single tube. Casein enzymic hydrolysate supply amino acids and other nitrogenous substances. Sodium chloride is used to maintain osmotic equilibrium. Dextrose is fermentable carbohydrate. Phenol red is the pH indicator which turns pink- red in alkaline conditions. The test cultures are stab-inoculated. Motility and urease reactions are read before testing Indole production. Motile organisms show either diffused growth or turbidity extending away from stab inoculation line while nonmotile organisms grow along the stab line. Organisms that utilize urea, produce ammonia which makes the medium alkaline, showing pink-red colour by change in the phenol red indicator. Indole is produced from tryptophan, which is present in casein enzymic hydrolysate. The indole produced combines with the aldehyde present in the Kovac's reagent to form a red complex.