Yeast Identification by Chromogenic Media: Introduction, Principle, Clinical Significance, and Keynotes

Introduction of Yeast Identification by Chromogenic Media (HiMedia)

Opportunistic yeasts, especially Candida species, are frequent causes of infections ranging from superficial candidiasis to life-threatening systemic disease. Conventional identification based on culture and biochemical tests can be time-consuming and may not reliably distinguish closely related species. Chromogenic media (HiMedia CHROMagar Candida and similar formulations) provide a simple, rapid, and cost-effective method for preliminary yeast identification, as they produce species-specific colony colors and morphologies.

Principle

• Chromogenic substrates are incorporated into the agar medium.
• Enzymes produced by different yeast species (e.g., glycosidases, phosphatases) cleave these substrates, releasing chromophores.
• The liberated chromophores impart distinct colors to the colonies, allowing differentiation of species.
• Typical color reactions on HiMedia Chromogenic agar:
  • Candida albicans: light to medium green colonies.
  • Candida tropicalis: metallic blue to purple colonies with darker halos.
  • Candida krusei: rough, fuzzy, pink colonies.
  • Candida glabrata: small, smooth, light to dark mauve colonies.

Clinical Significance

• Rapid Screening: Provides results within 24–48 hours compared to several days for biochemical tests.
• Species Differentiation: This helps distinguish between Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species, which is clinically important due to their differing antifungal susceptibility patterns.
• Outbreak Detection: Useful for rapid detection of multiple species in mixed infections.
• Resource-Friendly: Suitable for laboratories without access to molecular methods or MALDI-TOF.
• Limitations:
  • Cannot identify all yeast species.
  • Rare or emerging pathogens (C. auris) may appear with atypical colony colors.
  • Definitive identification requires molecular or MALDI-TOF confirmation.

Keynotes on Yeast Identification by Chromogenic Media (HiMedia)

• HiMedia Chromogenic agar is a practical first-line tool for yeast differentiation in clinical labs.
• Provides distinct colony colors based on the enzymatic activity of different Candida species.
• Supports rapid therapeutic decisions, especially where antifungal resistance is suspected.
• Must be combined with confirmatory methods (biochemical, MALDI-TOF, or sequencing) for accurate species-level identification.
• Plays a vital role in antifungal stewardship and infection control, especially in high-burden settings.

Further Readings

1. https://www.chromagar.com/en/our-company/chromogenic-technology/
2. https://www.himedialabs.com/in/m1297a-hicrome-candida-differential-agar.html
3. https://ami-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2007.03442.x
4. https://journals.lww.com/ijpm/fulltext/2010/53010/hichrom_candida_agar_for_identification_of_candida.20.aspx
5. https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-019-4710-5
6. https://www.himedialabs.com/media/TD/M1297A.pdf
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1198743X14651430
8. https://pathology.medresearch.in/index.php/jopm/article/view/448/882
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41102600_HiCrome_Candida_agar_for_identification_of_Candida_species
10. https://www.scielo.br/j/bjm/a/N575GnYrRXxPKVfS3XsTCmv/
11. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287626667_Exploring_the_potential_of_chromogenic_medium_for_the_identification_of_medically_important_yeast_species_other_than_Candida