Unsuccessful experiment with ruthenium red
To distinguish between EPS-producing (S. thermophilus) and nonproducing (E. coli) cells, M17 agar medium containing 0.08% ruthenium red and ruthenium red milk plates (RRM) (consisted of 0.5% yeast extract, 10% skim milk powder, 1% sucrose, 1.5% agar and 0.08 g L- of ruthenium red) were used. After incubation at 37 ºC for 24 h and 48 h, every strain gave whitish (maybe pale pinkish) colonies. It was unclear.
Stock solution: 0.0877 g of ruthenium red [Ruthenium(III) chloride oxide, Alfa Aesar] in 8.77 ml distilled water was sterilized.
0.8 ml ruthenium red stock was added to 100 ml molten M17 and 100 ml molten RRM agar just prior to pouring it into petri plates. What could be wrong with that?
Incubate for more time you will get viscous colonies of EPS producing strain.
I only had success myself using this method when I used Ruthenium Red from Sigma. I used one from Acros Organics originally and even though same formula, weight and CAS# received totally different results. Your agar should be pink to red. The plates should also be protected from light.
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