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Curcuma longa extract as a histological dye for collagen fibres and red blood cells
Author(s) -
Avwioro O. G.,
Onwuka S. K.,
Moody J. O.,
Agbedahunsi J. M.,
Oduola T.,
Ekpo O. E.,
Oladele A. A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2007.00721.x
Subject(s) - curcuma , staining , chemistry , chromatography , stain , anthraquinone , alum , anthraquinones , phytochemical , biochemistry , botany , biology , pathology , medicine , organic chemistry
Crude ethanolic extract and column chromatographic fractions of the Allepey cultivar of Curcuma longa Roxb, commonly called turmeric (tumeric) in commerce, were used as a stain for tissue sections. Staining was carried out under basic, acidic and neutral media conditions. Inorganic and organic dissolution solvents were used. The stain was used as a counterstain after alum and iron haematoxylins. C. longa stained collagen fibres, cytoplasm, red blood cells and muscle cells yellow. It also stained in a fashion similar to eosin, except for its intense yellow colour. Preliminary phytochemical evaluation of the active column fraction revealed that it contained flavonoids, free anthraquinone and deoxy sugar. A cheap, natural dye can thus be obtained from C. longa .