Patent ID: 8535903

Claim:
A method of detecting in microorganisms a nitroreductase activity, comprising the following steps: a) having available a detection and/or identification medium comprising a compound of formula (I) wherein: W 1 , W 2 , W 3 and W 4 are independently H, Br, Cl, F, I, alkyl, alkoxy, thiomethyl, perfluoroalkyl, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, carboxyl esters or carboxyl amides or any combination thereof, n=0, 1 or 2; U and V are N, N + R, CZ 4 , R being H, alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkanoic or alkylsulfonic, wherein if U is CZ 4 , then V is N or N + R; or if V is CZ 4 , then U is N or N + R; Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 and Z 4 being independently H, Br, Cl, F, I, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, perfluoroalkyl, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, sulfonyl, sulfonyl esters or sulfonyl amides or salts thereof; b) inoculating the medium with a biological sample to be tested, c) allowing to incubate, and d) detecting the presence of at least one nitroreductase activity.