New culture medium, fava bean(Vicia faba) agar,for cultivation and identification of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Melanin production by Cryptococcus neoformans is widely used to characterize C. neoformansin mycology laboratories.In this study, we used new medium prepared from fava bean leaves extract.The isolates of C.neoformans and Candida albicans ,as negative control ,were cultured on fava bean agar, results showed that at 48hours the isolates of C.neoformans was pigmented on fava bean agar and produce dark brown colonies ,while C. albicans grow but don’t produce pigment. The analysis of fresh fava bean leaves by high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC)showed that the fava bean leaves content :Gallic acid ,Caffeic acid ,Chlorgenic acid ,Protocatechic acid, Coumaric acid and Quinicacid.The present phenolic compound confirms fava bean agar useful as media for the rapid identification of C. neoformans.