Ammonium bismuth citrate is used in microbiological culture media as a selective agent. It is for example used in Bismuth sulfite agar for the isolation of Salmonella typhi and other salmonellae from food and other materials, sewage and water. It is as well used in the Nickerson Agar (BIGGY), which is used for the isolation and identification of Candida species
Ammonium bismuth citrate is used in microbiological culture media as a selective agent as it inhibits certain gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The bismuth ions are reduced to metallic bismuth, which impart metallic sheen around the colonies.
