Biolife Italiana Srl Technical Sheet

N °401600 BE –1 10/2006 page 1/ 3.

LISTERIA OXFORD AGAR BASE

LISTERIA OXFORD ANTIMICROBIC SUPPLEMENT (CCCFA)
LISTERIA MOX COL ANTIMICRIBIC SUPPLEMENT
LISTERIA SELECTIVE AGAR (Oxford)
Base medium, selective supplements and ready to use plates
for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes

Oxford Agar. Listeria monocytogenes colonies

TYPICAL FORMULAS
Listeria Oxford Agar Base (g/l)
Columbia Agar Base 41.0
Lithium Chloride 15.0
Aesculin 1.0
Ferric ammonium citrate 0.5

Listeria Oxford Antimicrobic Supplement (vial contents for 500 ml of medium)

Cycloheximide 200.0 mg
Colistin sulphate 10.0 mg
Cefotetan 1.0 mg
Fosfomicine 5.0 mg
Acriflavine 2.5 mg

Listeria MOX-COL Antimicrobic Supplement (vial contents for 500 ml of medium)

Moxalactam 7.5 mg
Colistin Sulfate 5.0 mg

Listeria Selective Agar (Oxford) (ready to use plates)

Listeria Oxford Agar Base 1000 ml
Cycloheximide 400 mg
Colistin sulphate 20 mg
Cefotetan 2 mg
Fosfomicine 10 mg
Acriflavine 5 mg

Directions
Oxford formulation
Suspend 28.7g of Listeria Oxford Agar Base in 500ml of cold distilled water. Heat to boiling with
agitation and autoclave at 121°C for 15 minutes. Cool to 50°C and add the contents of one vial of
Listeria Oxford Antimicrobic Supplement reconstituted with 5ml of a solution of 1:1 ethanol sterile
distilled water solution. Mix well and distribute into sterile Petri dishes.

Biolife Italiana S.r.l. Viale Monza 272, 20128 Milan, Italy. Tel. n° ++39 (0)2 25 209 1, Fax n° ++39 (0)2 25 76 428
E-mail: biolife@masciabrunelli.it ; Web: www.biolifeit.com
Biolife Italiana Srl Technical Sheet
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“MOX” Formulation
Suspend 28.7g of Listeria Oxford Agar Base in 500ml of cold distilled water. Heat to boiling with
agitation and autoclave at 121°C for 15 minutes. Cool to 50°C and add the contents of one vial of
Listeria MOX-COL Antimicrobic Supplement (cat. n. 4240039) reconstituted with 5ml of sterile
distilled water. Mix well and distribute into sterile Petri dishes.
Final pH 7.0 ± 0.1

Description
Listeria Oxford Agar Base is a base medium without antibiotics and without acriflavin, to be used with
Listeria Oxford Antimicrobic Supplement or with Listeria MOX-COL Antimicrobic Supplement for the
isolation of Listeria spp.
The complete medium known as "Oxford Medium" is prepared according to Curtis' formulation and is
suggested by FIL-IDF and ISO 12560 for the detection of L. monocytogenes in milk and dairy
products or in other foodstuffs. The complete Oxford medium contains, as inhibitory agents, lithium
chloride, active against streptococci, cycloheximide active against yeasts and moulds, cefotetan and
fosfomicin active on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The medium contains besides ferric-
ammonium citrate and aesculin, which is reduced to aesculetin by Listeria spp. with the formation of
grey-brown colonies with brown halo.
The “MOX” medium is a modification of the formulation described by McClain and Lee, with a
reduced concentration of moxalactam in order to obtain a better growth of Listeria spp. It s
recommended by USDA-FSIS for the detection of L. monocytogenes from poultry and the formulation
with moxalactam, colistin and lithium chloride is considered superior for the inhibition of Methicillin
resistant staphylococci and Proteus spp.

Technique
1. Streak a loopful of the suitable enriched broth incubated according the directions onto the
surface of an Oxford Medium plate or MOX Medium plate to obtain well isolated colonies.
2. Incubate at 37°C for 48 hours
3. Observe for the presence of Listeria typical colonies: grey-brown colonies with brown or black
halo.
4. From each plate select at least 3 colonies and streak onto TSA Yeast Extract plates (ref. n°
402166). With this growth carry out the identification tests.

User quality assurance (37°C – 48hrs)

Productivity control
L.monocytogenes ATCC 19111: growth, grey colonies with black halo
L.monocytogenes ATCC 13932: growth, grey colonies with black halo
Selectivity control
E.coli ATCC 25922: inhibited
E.faecalis ATCC 19433: inhibited
C.albicans ATCC 10231: inhibited

Storage
Dehydrated medium: 10-30°C
Selective Supplements: 2-8°C
User prepared plates: 14 days at 2-8°C
Ready to use plates: 2-8°C

References
• Cain, D.B., Mc Cann, V.L. (1986) J. Clin. Microbiol. 23, 976
• Curtis, G.D.W. et al. (1989) Lett. App. Microbiol. 8, 95
• Donnelly, C.W., Baigent, G.J. (1986) App. Environ. Microbiol. 52, 689
• Mc Clain, D., Lee, W.H. (1988) J. Ass. Off. Assol. Chem. 71, 660
• FIL-IDF (1988) Provisional IDF recommended method Milk and Milk Products. Detection of Listeria
monocytogenes.
• ISO 10560: Milk and milk products-detection of Listeria monocytogens. 1993
• McClain, D., Lee, W.H. (1988) J. Ass. Off. Anal. Chem. 71, 660

Biolife Italiana S.r.l. Viale Monza 272, 20128 Milan, Italy. Tel. n° ++39 (0)2 25 209 1, Fax n° ++39 (0)2 25 76 428
E-mail: biolife@masciabrunelli.it ; Web: www.biolifeit.com
Biolife Italiana Srl Technical Sheet
N °401600 BE –1 10/2006 page 3/ 3.

Packaging
4016002 Listeria Oxford Agar Base, 500 g (8.7 l)
4240038 Listeria Oxford Antimic. Suppl. CCCFA, 10 vials, each for 500ml of medium
4240039 Listeria Mox-Col Antimicrobic Supplement 10 vials, each for 500ml of medium
541600 Listeria Selective Agar (Oxford) 20 ready to use plates

Biolife Italiana S.r.l. Viale Monza 272, 20128 Milan, Italy. Tel. n° ++39 (0)2 25 209 1, Fax n° ++39 (0)2 25 76 428
E-mail: biolife@masciabrunelli.it ; Web: www.biolifeit.com