This study explores the use of plant-based culture media as sustainable alternatives to traditional nutrient agar for microbial cultivation. Two types of plant-based media were developed: one using China grass as a solidifying agent and the other incorporating agar. These were compared with conventional nutrient agar. Microbial cultures were inoculated onto each medium and incubated under optimal conditions, with growth patterns and colony characteristics observed and documented over time. The results showed distinct differences in microbial growth among the media types. Both plant-based media supported microbial growth, but variations in growth rates and colony morphology were noted compared to nutrient agar. These findings suggest that plant-based media could serve as environmentally friendly alternatives in microbiological studies, although further optimization and exploration of their compositions are necessary to enhance their utility.

Keywords: Plant-based culture media, sustainable alternatives, nutrient agar, microbial cultivation, China grass, agar, microbial growth, colony morphology,

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1. Adesemoye AO, Adedire CO. Use of cereals as basal medium for the formulation of alternative culture media for fungi. World journal of microbiology and biotechnology. 2005;21:329–336.
2. Ahmed E, Sarhan MS, Nemr RA, Elsawey H, Abdel-Fadeel MR, Sibroe-Daanaa HA, et al. Culturing without culture media: Echoing the plant inoculum effect into the plant-only-based culture media. In: Conference: The Plant Microbiome: Exploration of Plant-Microbe Interactions for Improving Agricultural ProductivityAt: Technische Universität Berlin Campus El Gouna, El Gouna, Hurghada, Red Sea, EgyptAffiliation: Cairo University 2018. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15017.95846.
3. Arya SS, Salve AR, Chauhan S. Peanuts as functional food: A review. J Food Sci Technol. 2016;53(1):31–41. doi: 10.1007/s13197-015-2007-9.
4. Barreca D, Nabavi SM, Sureda A, Rasekhian M, Raciti R, Silva AS, et al. Almonds (Prunus dulcis Mill. DA webb): A source of nutrients and health-promoting compounds. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):672.  doi: 10.3390/nu12030672.
5. Batool M, Ranjha MM, Roobab U, Manzoor MF, Farooq U, Nadeem HR, et al. Nutritional value, phytochemical potential, and therapeutic benefits of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). Plants (Basel). 2022 May 24;11(11):1394. doi: 10.3390/plants11111394.
6. Bhuvaneswari S, Manonmani AM, Geetha I. Cost-effective medium for the production of mosquito pupicidal lipopeptide from Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis (VCRC B471). J Vector Borne Dis. 2015;52(1):58–62.
7. Deivanayaki M, Antony IP. 20123199022, English, Journal article, Bangladesh, 2222-5234 2220-6655, 2, (5), Dhaka, International Journal of Biosciences (IJB), (47–51), Shamokal Publications, Alternative vegetable nutrient source for microbial growth. (2012).
8. Berde CV, Berde VB. Vegetable waste as alternative microbiological media for laboratory and industry. World J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2015;4(5):1488–1494.
9. Santos FP, Magalhães DC, Nascimento JD, Ramos GL. Use of products of vegetable origin and waste from hortofruticulture for alternative culture media. Food Sci Technol. 2021;42:e00621. doi: 10.1590/fst.00621.
10. Jukanti AK, Gaur PM, Gowda CL, Chibbar RN. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): A review. Br J Nutr. 2012:108 Suppl 1:S11–S26. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512000797.
11. Monis J, Panuganti R, Chitnis K. Millets based alternative sustainable cost-effective culture media for microbial growth. Plant Science Today. 2024;11(2):99–104. doi: 10.14719/pst.2789.
12. Mourad EF, Sarhan MS, Daanaa HS, Abdou M, Morsi AT, Abdelfadeel MR, et al. Plant materials are sustainable substrates supporting new technologies of plant-only-based culture media for in vitro culturing of the plant microbiota. Microbes Environ. 2018;33(1):40–49. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.ME17135.
13. Ravimannan N, Arulanantham R, Pathmanathan S, Niranjan K. Alternative culture media for fungal growth using different formulation of protein sources. Ann Biol Res. 2014;5(1):36–39.
14. Pareek S. Nutritional and biochemical composition of banana (Musa spp.) cultivars. Nutritional Composition of Fruit Cultivars. 2016:49–81. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-408117-8.00003-9.
15. Jadhav P, Sonne M, Kadam A, Patil S, Dahigaonkar K, Oberoi JK. Formulation of cost effective alternative bacterial culture media using fruit and vegetables waste. Int J Curr Res Rev 2018;10(2):6–15. doi: 10.7324/IJCRR.2018.1022.
16. Ramesh S, Desai H, Gupta P. Groundnut substitute media for bacteriological culture. J Evol Med Dent Sci. 2014;3(41):10306–10315. doi: 10.14260/jemds/2014/3338.
17. Shareef SA. Formulation of alternative culture media from natural plant protein sources for cultivation of different bacteria and fungi. Zanco J Pure Appl Sci. 2019;31(4):61–69. doi: 10.21271/zjpas.31.4.7.
18. Uthayasooriyan M, Pathmanathan S, Ravimannan N, Sathyaruban S. Formulation of alternative culture media for bacterial and fungal growth. Der Pharmacia Lettre. 2016;8 (1):431–436.
19. Youssef HH, Hamza MA, Fayez M, Mourad EF, Saleh MY, Sarhan MS, et al. Plant-based culture media: Efficiently support culturing rhizobacteria and correctly mirror their in-situ diversity. J Adv Res. 2016;7(2):305–316. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2015.07.005.
20. Acuña JJ, Marileo LG, Araya MA, Rilling JI, Larama GA, Mora ML, et al. In situ cultivation approach to increase the culturable bacterial diversity in the rhizobiome of plants. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2020;20:1411–1426. doi: 10.1007/s42729-020-00222-0.
21. Sarhan MS, Mourad EF, Hamza MA, Youssef HH, Scherwinski AC, El‐Tahan M, et al. Plant powder teabags: A novel and practical approach to resolve culturability and diversity of rhizobacteria. Physiologia Plantarum. 2016 Aug;157(4):403–1
22. Huang CM, Chen WC, Lin SH, Wang YN, Shen FT. Exploration of root-associated bacteria from the medicinal plant Platycodon grandiflorum. Microbes Environ. 2019;34(4):413–420. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.ME19030.

This study explores the use of plant-based culture media as sustainable alternatives to traditional nutrient agar for microbial cultivation. Two types of plant-based media were developed: one using China grass as a solidifying agent and the other incorporating agar. These were compared with conventional nutrient agar. Microbial cultures were inoculated onto each medium and incubated under optimal conditions, with growth patterns and colony characteristics observed and documented over time. The results showed distinct differences in microbial growth among the media types. Both plant-based media supported microbial growth, but variations in growth rates and colony morphology were noted compared to nutrient agar. These findings suggest that plant-based media could serve as environmentally friendly alternatives in microbiological studies, although further optimization and exploration of their compositions are necessary to enhance their utility.

Keywords: Plant-based culture media, sustainable alternatives, nutrient agar, microbial cultivation, China grass, agar, microbial growth, colony morphology,

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Adesemoye AO, Adedire CO. Use of cereals as basal medium for the formulation of alternative culture media for fungi. World journal of microbiology and biotechnology. 2005;21:329–336.
2. Ahmed E, Sarhan MS, Nemr RA, Elsawey H, Abdel-Fadeel MR, Sibroe-Daanaa HA, et al. Culturing without culture media: Echoing the plant inoculum effect into the plant-only-based culture media. In: Conference: The Plant Microbiome: Exploration of Plant-Microbe Interactions for Improving Agricultural ProductivityAt: Technische Universität Berlin Campus El Gouna, El Gouna, Hurghada, Red Sea, EgyptAffiliation: Cairo University 2018. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15017.95846.
3. Arya SS, Salve AR, Chauhan S. Peanuts as functional food: A review. J Food Sci Technol. 2016;53(1):31–41. doi: 10.1007/s13197-015-2007-9.
4. Barreca D, Nabavi SM, Sureda A, Rasekhian M, Raciti R, Silva AS, et al. Almonds (Prunus dulcis Mill. DA webb): A source of nutrients and health-promoting compounds. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):672.  doi: 10.3390/nu12030672.
5. Batool M, Ranjha MM, Roobab U, Manzoor MF, Farooq U, Nadeem HR, et al. Nutritional value, phytochemical potential, and therapeutic benefits of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). Plants (Basel). 2022 May 24;11(11):1394. doi: 10.3390/plants11111394.
6. Bhuvaneswari S, Manonmani AM, Geetha I. Cost-effective medium for the production of mosquito pupicidal lipopeptide from Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis (VCRC B471). J Vector Borne Dis. 2015;52(1):58–62.
7. Deivanayaki M, Antony IP. 20123199022, English, Journal article, Bangladesh, 2222-5234 2220-6655, 2, (5), Dhaka, International Journal of Biosciences (IJB), (47–51), Shamokal Publications, Alternative vegetable nutrient source for microbial growth. (2012).
8. Berde CV, Berde VB. Vegetable waste as alternative microbiological media for laboratory and industry. World J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2015;4(5):1488–1494.
9. Santos FP, Magalhães DC, Nascimento JD, Ramos GL. Use of products of vegetable origin and waste from hortofruticulture for alternative culture media. Food Sci Technol. 2021;42:e00621. doi: 10.1590/fst.00621.
10. Jukanti AK, Gaur PM, Gowda CL, Chibbar RN. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): A review. Br J Nutr. 2012:108 Suppl 1:S11–S26. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512000797.
11. Monis J, Panuganti R, Chitnis K. Millets based alternative sustainable cost-effective culture media for microbial growth. Plant Science Today. 2024;11(2):99–104. doi: 10.14719/pst.2789.
12. Mourad EF, Sarhan MS, Daanaa HS, Abdou M, Morsi AT, Abdelfadeel MR, et al. Plant materials are sustainable substrates supporting new technologies of plant-only-based culture media for in vitro culturing of the plant microbiota. Microbes Environ. 2018;33(1):40–49. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.ME17135.
13. Ravimannan N, Arulanantham R, Pathmanathan S, Niranjan K. Alternative culture media for fungal growth using different formulation of protein sources. Ann Biol Res. 2014;5(1):36–39.
14. Pareek S. Nutritional and biochemical composition of banana (Musa spp.) cultivars. Nutritional Composition of Fruit Cultivars. 2016:49–81. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-408117-8.00003-9.
15. Jadhav P, Sonne M, Kadam A, Patil S, Dahigaonkar K, Oberoi JK. Formulation of cost effective alternative bacterial culture media using fruit and vegetables waste. Int J Curr Res Rev 2018;10(2):6–15. doi: 10.7324/IJCRR.2018.1022.
16. Ramesh S, Desai H, Gupta P. Groundnut substitute media for bacteriological culture. J Evol Med Dent Sci. 2014;3(41):10306–10315. doi: 10.14260/jemds/2014/3338.
17. Shareef SA. Formulation of alternative culture media from natural plant protein sources for cultivation of different bacteria and fungi. Zanco J Pure Appl Sci. 2019;31(4):61–69. doi: 10.21271/zjpas.31.4.7.
18. Uthayasooriyan M, Pathmanathan S, Ravimannan N, Sathyaruban S. Formulation of alternative culture media for bacterial and fungal growth. Der Pharmacia Lettre. 2016;8 (1):431–436.
19. Youssef HH, Hamza MA, Fayez M, Mourad EF, Saleh MY, Sarhan MS, et al. Plant-based culture media: Efficiently support culturing rhizobacteria and correctly mirror their in-situ diversity. J Adv Res. 2016;7(2):305–316. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2015.07.005.
20. Acuña JJ, Marileo LG, Araya MA, Rilling JI, Larama GA, Mora ML, et al. In situ cultivation approach to increase the culturable bacterial diversity in the rhizobiome of plants. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2020;20:1411–1426. doi: 10.1007/s42729-020-00222-0.
21. Sarhan MS, Mourad EF, Hamza MA, Youssef HH, Scherwinski AC, El‐Tahan M, et al. Plant powder teabags: A novel and practical approach to resolve culturability and diversity of rhizobacteria. Physiologia Plantarum. 2016 Aug;157(4):403–1
22. Huang CM, Chen WC, Lin SH, Wang YN, Shen FT. Exploration of root-associated bacteria from the medicinal plant Platycodon grandiflorum. Microbes Environ. 2019;34(4):413–420. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.ME19030.