Noble agar

Noble agar, also known as agar or agar-agar, is a gelling hydrocolloid extracted from sea weeds such as Gelidium and Gracilaria. It′s structure contains repeating units of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, with a few differences, in addition to a low ester sulphate residue. Agarose and agaropectin are the key components of agar. Noble agar is majorly used as both human and animal food supplement. In addition, it is also used in industries for the preparation of solid microbiological media.

Noble agar has been used as a component of growth medium for High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cell lines for soft agar colony assay. It has also been used as a media component to culture anaerobic bacteria, Bacteroides thetaitaomicron

Originally designed for use in Noble′s cyanide citrate agar.

Noble agar has been used to make agar gel plates that acts as a standard solid support material:

• to culture tumor spheroids
• in lysoplate assay method of Osserman & Lawlor to measure lysozyme concentration in albumen or plasma
• as BG11 media component to culture Scenedesmus obtusiusculus strains

Further purified from bacteriological agar with careful specific washings.