Nitrate Broth is supplied by HiMedia. It is a sterile ready prepared media containing 5ml of light amber coloured solution in bottles. Nitrate Broth is generally used for detection of nitrate reduction by bacteria. It is advisable to store this ready prepared media between 2-8C. Composition (in gm/L) is as follows:

Peptic digest of animal tissue (5.00)

Beef extract (3.00)

Potassium nitrate (1.00)

Ready prepared nitrate broth can be used to differentiate members of Enterobacteriaceae family based on their ability to reduce nitrates. After growing the pure culture in the test medium after 18-24 hours, the cultures are tested for nitrate test. Members of Enterobacteriaceae characteristically reduce nitrates to nitrites, which reacts with sulphanilic acid and N, N-dimethyl-1-naphthylamine reagent to produce pinkish red colour, which is indicative of a positive test.