Alcian Blue, a water-soluble polyvalent basic dye, is often employed in staining procedures for histological analysis of acidic mucosubstances (glycosaminoglycans, mucopolysaccharides, sialylated glycocalyx, etc.) and mucins, with application in both light and electron microscopy. The structure comprises of a central copper-containing pthalocyanine ring connected with four moderately basic isothiouronium groups, by thioether linkage. Alcian blue, a heteroglycan stain, is commonly utilized for the histological visualization of sulfated and carboxylated acid mucopolysaccharides and sulfated and carboxylated sialomucins; it specifically targets and stains sulfated or carboxylated acid mucopolysaccharides and sulfated or carboxylated sialomucins /glycoproteins, by forming salt linkages with mucopolysaccharides and imparting a blue color. Typically, Alcian Blue is used for staining acidic mucins (sialomucin, sulfomucin) while PAS reaction is the preferred method for assessing neutral mucins and glycogen.
Acidic mucins/mucosubstances: blue
Applications:
• Frequently used stain in cell-based assays and immunohistochemistry.
• The 8GX Alcian Blue solution is commonly used for assaying chondrocyte, osteoblast, and adipocyte differentiation.
Molecular Formula: C56H68Cl4CuN16S4
Molecular Weight: 1298.9 g/mol
CAS No.: 33864-99-2
Synonyms: Alcian blue 8GX, Ingrain blue 1, C.I. 74240
InChI Key: CKLBXIYTBHXJEH-UHFFFAOYSA-J
