Kovac’s Reagent is supplied by Micromaster. It is available in the form of a greenish yellow coloured solution. This product should be stored between 10-30°C in a tightly closed container. Once opened, it should be properly stored, after tightly capping the bottle. Store in dry ventilated area protected from extremes of temperature and sources of ignition.

• Quantity provided: 100 ml/bottle

Kovacs reagent is a biochemical reagent consisting of isoamyl alcohol, para-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DMAB), and concentrated hydrochloric acid. It is used for the diagnostic test, to determine the ability of the organism to split tryptophan into indole and alpha-aminopropionic acid by hydrolytic activity of bacteria that express tryptophanase enzyme. The indole produced is indicated by formation of a red coloured ring, soluble in ether, chloroform and alcohol. This was invented by the Hungarian-Swiss Chemist, Ervin Kovats. Indole production is used as, a test designed to distinguish among members of the family Enterobacteria. Most strains of E. coli, P. vulgaris, P. rettgeri, M. morgani and Providencia species break down the amino acid tryptophan with the release of indole.