In traditional microbial culture, "getting the colony to grow" is only the first step, often followed by biochemical testing or mass spectrometry for further identification. To shorten the detection cycle, researchers have devised an approach: directly add the corresponding chromogenic substrate to the culture medium.

When target microorganisms express specific metabolic enzymes, the substrate is hydrolyzed to form a colored product, and the color appears right at the colony site. Chromogenic substrates are not just ordinary additives in formulations – they are the critical link connecting "invisible microbial enzyme activity" to "visible color." For culture medium development, the specificity of the substrate and the characteristics of product deposition directly determine the final readability of the product.

The reason X-GlcNAc has become a core raw material for NAGase detection lies in its ingenious color development mechanism: NAGase specifically hydrolyzes its glycosidic bond, releasing indoxyl, which then oxidizes and dimerizes in air to form an insoluble blue-green precipitate.

This single reaction perfectly addresses three major detection needs:

• Intuitive interpretation: The blue-green color signal indicates the presence of relevant NAGase activity, requiring no complex optical reading equipment – instant visual judgment.

• Precise localization: The product is water-insoluble, anchoring the signal precisely at the site of enzyme activity with sharp colony boundaries.

• Classic reliability: As a classic substrate repeatedly validated by international mainstream culture media standards and academic literature, its detection results enjoy high industry recognition.

1. Candida albicans detection

Can be used in the development of chromogenic media for Candida albicans. By detecting NAGase activity, characteristic colony color development is formed, assisting in the rapid screening and preliminary identification of Candida albicans.

2. Microbial identification

Utilizing differences in NAGase activity to produce chromogenic reactions, it can be used for the screening and preliminary identification of related bacteria and fungi, providing intuitive color signals for microbial identification.

3. Basic research

Can be used for NAGase-related enzymology studies, and its chromogenic properties can be utilized for experimental analysis requiring in-situ observation such as histochemistry.

4. Food safety

Combining the enzymatic characteristics of target microorganisms to construct chromogenic detection systems for the screening and contamination monitoring of specific microorganisms in food samples.

Chinese Name: 5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide

English Name: 5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide

Abbreviation: X-GlcNAc

CAS Number: 4264-82-8

Molecular Formula: C16H18BrClN2O6

Molecular Weight: 449.68

Specifications: 1 g / 5 g / 25 g (Custom packaging supported)

Form: Off-white crystalline powder

Product Number: G01010012

Stock: In stock

Signal: Blue-green

In multiplex microbial chromogenic detection or across different detection platforms, a single color or a single detection method is often insufficient. In addition to the classic blue-green substrate X-GlcNAc, GeneSeqTools Bioscience & Technology also offers a variety of NAGase detection substrates to comprehensively meet different development needs from solid media to liquid microplates: