Bile esculin agar

Bile Esculin Agar (BEA) is a selective differential agar used to isolate and identify members of the genus Enterococcus,[1] formerly part of the "group D streptococci" (enterococci were reclassified in their own genus in 1984).

[2] Bile salts are the selective ingredient, while esculin is the differential component.

Bile Esculin Agar is used primarily to differentiate Enterococcus from Streptococcus.

Members of the genus Enterococcus are capable of growing in the presence of 40% bile (oxgall) and hydrolyzing esculin to glucose and esculetin.

When new techniques are produced to identify enterococci, they are often compared to the use of bile esculin agar.