Schaedler agar is used for the enumeration of various aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species present in the gastrointestinal tract. The combination of tryptone, protein and soy peptone, yeast extract and L-cystine provides nitrogenous growth factors, vitamins and other nutrients essential for growth. Dextrose serves as an energy source. Schaedler Agar provides an excellent base medium to which blood or other enrichments can be added to enhance the recovery of demanding anaerobic organisms.

Schaedler's agar, enriched with vitamin K1 and 5% sheep blood, is used for the recovery of fastidious anaerobic bacteria such as Bacteroides. The inclusion of colistin and nalidixic acid in the formulation (Schaedler CNA Agar) with 5% sheep blood is used for the selective isolation of gram-positive anaerobic cocci, Peptococcus and Peptostreptococcus species. The inclusion of Kanamycin and Vancomycin in the formulation (Schaedler KV Agar) with 5% sheep blood is used for the selective isolation of gram-negative anaerobes.