[Histonet] Picrosirius Red and Plant material

[Birgitta Stephenson]

Hola Histonetters,

I have been using Picrosirius Red stains on lifted archaeological
reidues with great results. However I have a few questions. When I have
mixed slides that have bone,muscle and plant material everything takes
up the stain which I am presuming is normal and it is only the collagen
fibers that change colour in cross polarised light.Is this correct that
everything takes up the stain?  On slides that have
just seed products the slide residue does not fluoresce like the muscle
tissue but it still glows slightly. I assume this is due to the
properties of plant? However I have found that lignin when it takes up
the dye turns yellow and displays pleochroism and birefringence (bright
yellow)in cross polarised light. Has anyone ever used this dye for plant
products or have any comments re these observations. Also some of the
experimental slides with meat smears on them tend to glow bright red in
cross polarised light but not yellow or orange...any thoughts? Again I
am trying to differentiate plant and animal residues on the one slide
preferably as easily as possible, however these residues are lifted from
archaeological tools thousands of years old....very ancient CSI type
work. 
Thanks

Birgitta Stephenson, Archaeology Microscopy Research Lab University of
Queensland
-- 
  Birgitta Stephenson
  bstephen <@t> fastmail.fm

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