[Histonet] saffron vs. safran du gatinais

[Jerry Ricks]

Hi Beth,


"Saffron" and "safran du gatinais" both refer to the dried stigma of the saffron crocus.  They are both "saffron."  I use and alcoholic extract of Saffron to stain collagen in Movat stains.  I've tried saffron from multiple sources and price definitely does not always correlate with quality.  I gave up on Sigma-Aldrich, for example.  The best saffron has a deep red color and is highly aromatic.  There are possible workarounds for the lower quality material--like use more saffron, or stain longer, but best to use the best.

What stain are you doing and what solution are you making with the saffron?

Jerry Ricks
Research Scientist
University of Washington
Department of Pathology



> From: beth.villarreal <@t> novartis.com
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2012 20:02:21 +0000
> Subject: [Histonet] saffron vs. safran du gatinais
> 
> Hello histonet,
> I have a protocol that calls for safran du gatinais and am experiencing some serious sticker shock.  Can I substitute saffron in my solution or am I asking for trouble?
> 
> Many thanks,
> Beth
> 
> 
> Beth Villarreal
> Scientist I
> Novartis Institutes for BioMedical
> Research, Inc.
> 300 Technology Square
> Cambridge, MA 02139
> USA
> 
> 
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