No , you can not used Mannitol salt agar for Enterococci becouse MSA contains a high concentration (about 7.5%-10%) of salt (NaCl), making it selective for Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus and Micrococcaceae) since this level of salt is inhibitory to most other bacteria and inhibited the growth of gram negative bacteria

Bile esculin agar (BEA) is a differential and selective medium and is mainly used to discern group D Streptococci and Enterococci based on the organism’s potential to hydrolyze esculin. BEA comprises of oxygall (bile salts, first selective ingredients) and azide (second selective ingredients), former inhibits the growth of gram positive organisms and latter inhibits the growth of gram negative organisms. BEA also comprises of nutrients ferric citrate and esculin, where esculin is a differential ingredient and is also a fluorescent compound, upon hydrolyzation the fluorescence is lost. BEA is used for bile esculin test which is based on the hydrolysis of esculin into esculetin (6, 7-dihydroxy-coumarin) and glucose by a micro-organism that produce an enzyme esculinase.

You can used MRS medium for lactic acid bacteria...good luck

No, enterococci cannot grow on mannitol salt agar because are salt resistant bacteria but they are able to ferment mannitol and produce lactic acid, creating colonies of yellow color on MSA.

ref: https://microbeonline.com/mannitol-salt-agar-msa-composition-uses-and-colony-characteristics/

Hi Lyca,

From your reference it shows that Enterococcus faecalis can grow on mannitol salt agar producing similar colonies with Staphylococcus, the two can be differentiate by Catalase test.

Which media is generally used for growing of enterococcus