[Histonet] Re: Nuclear fast red

[Smith, Allen]

I have used brazalum, made by substituting brazilin for hematoxylin in the recipe for Mayer's hemalum. It stains nuclei a slightly deeper red than nuclear fast red.  Colorfastness is excellent.  I have 40-year old slides stained with brazalum that still look as they did on the day I made them.
Allen A. Smith, Ph.D.
Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Richmond
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 2:07 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Re: Nuclear fast red

Nuclear fast red is a dye that will eventually go out of manufacture,
and certainly if you're having trouble with it you need to be looking
for an alternative.

Anatech has been offering brazilin, a natural dye very similar to
hematoxylin, except that with an alum mordant it's red rather than
purple. They offer both the dry dyestuff, and a ready-to-use solution
called "Brazilliant". I haven't seen this dye in action, and I'd like
to know what results people are having with it.

There is one problem on the horizon: unlike logwood, which is an
invasive species in the Caribbean islands where it was introduced from
Mexico, brazil wood is supposedly an endangered or threatened species.

(I have no commercial connection with Anatech.)

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN

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