STAINS FOR PIGMENTS AND MINERALS

SUBSTANCE (+) COLOR OR

STAIN ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE REMARKS
STAINED RESULT

 Staining time may

 Classic method for
NUCLEI ARE vary depending on iron determination
 Excellent for iron
PRUSSIAN BLUE-PURPLE; the amount of iron in histology;
Cell Nuclei detection in
BLUE STAIN CYTOPLASM IS extremely sensitive
tissues and cells. present.
PINK to iron presence in
tissues
 May dissolve
freshly formed.

 May pose potential  Rarely used in routine

FERROUS IRON –  Solution can be
TURNBULL’s Iron (Ferrous) in danger to user’s health histology since ferrous
BLUE stable for up to a
BLUE tissues due to the use of some iron is less commonly
NUCLEI–RED year.
corrosive materials found than ferric iron.
LEUCO
PATENT BLUE HEMOGLOBIN-  Effective in staining  Fixation of more than
V STAIN FOR Hemoglobin in  Valuable for studying
BLUE/GREEN the hemoglobin in 36 hours may give rise
HEMOGLOBIN tissue sections. hemoglobin.
tissues to unreliable results. .
(PATENT NUCLEI-Red
BLUE)
HALL’S Demonstration of  Helps detect bile  Hematoidin is not  Only bile and bile
MODIFIED bile pigments BILE PIGMENTS- pigments in the liver likely to show any pigments in the liver
FOUCHET EMERALD TO color change with this are detected using this
method. special staining
TECHNIQUE BLUE technique. It is applied
to paraffin sections of

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 MUSCLE- GREEN
TO YELLOW formaldehyde-fixed
tissue.
COLLAGEN- RED

BILE PIGMENTS-

GMELIN EMERALD TO
 This method shows an
TECHNIQUE Demonstration of BLUE MUSCLE- Diagnostic for bile  Result produced is identical result with
FOR BILE AND bile pigments GREEN TO pigments only temporary. liver bile, gallbladder
HEMATOIDIN bile and hematoidin..
YELLOW

BILE, LIPOFUSCIS,
MELANIN,
SCHMORL’S ARGENTAFFIN
FERRIC  This type of reaction is
CELLS,
Highlights bile, lipofuscin  The time for reaction seen with bile, some
FERRICYANID
Glycogen and CHROMAFFIN, to take place depends lipofuscins,
E METHDO and neuroendocrine cell
glycoproteins. THYROID on the substance to be neuroendocrine cell
FOR granules. demonstrated. granules and also
REDUCING COLLOID- DARK melanin.
SUBSTANCES BLUE

NUCLEI-RED

GOMORI’S Lipofuscin  Any increase in the  This type of reaction is

ALDEHYDE LIPOFUSCIN- The solution will remain background staining seen with bile, some
FUCHSIN viable for approximately 2 will indicate lipofuscins,

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TECHNIQUE PURPLE
FOR neuroendocrine cell
deterioration of the
LIPOFUSCIN months. granules and also
BACKGROUND- staining solution
(HEMOFUSCIN melanin.
YELLOW
)
MASSON-
FONTANA MELANIN, Use only thoroughly clean
METHOD FOR ARGENTAFFIN glassware, as the silver  Certain tissue
MELANIN components are
GRANULES- solution will react with any
argentaffin; that is,
BLACK residual contaminant left on they possess the ability
the glassware. to bind silver from a
Melanin in tissue
NUCLEI- RED solution and to reduce
 Prolonged exposure to it to visible metallic
ammoniacal silver silver without the need
solution at 56°C may for a separate reducing
give rise to a fine agent
deposit over the
section.
 Other tissue
CALSIUM SALTS- constituents, such as
Calcium deposits are beta cells of the
REDDISH  Staining time is
ALZARIN RED pancreas and pituitary,
dependent on the
S METHOD Calcium ORANGE birefringent after staining elastin, sulfated mucins
amount of calcium and neurosecretory
FOR CALCIUM BACKGROUND- with Alizarin red S. present granules will also stain
PALE GREEN with this metho .

GOMORI’S Urate Crystals  Uric acid and urates  These specimens

METHANIMIN URATE CRYSTALS are soluble in water, should be processed on
E SILVER BLACK so much of the a day cycle starting at
material will be lost absolute alcohol.
STAIN FOR

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 during normal
URATE BACKGROUND aqueous fixation and
CRYSTALS GREEN subsequent
processing.
LINDQUISTS Copper in tissues
MODIFIED Copper and copper
RHODANINE associated protein After cover slipping,
TECHNIQUE  After cover slipping,
RED TO ORANGE- fading of the stained fading of the stained
FOR STAINING
RED copper may occur if
COPPER copper may occur if the 
the copper
copper concentration concentration within
NUCLEI BLUE the tissue is low
within the tissue is low
BILE GREEN