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$32.00
Sku: A0298-5g
Availability:
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In stock & estimated to ship in 1-2 days by July 09, 2026
Description
In histology and microscopy workflows, researchers often need to distinguish acid mucosubstances, glycosaminoglycans, sulfated proteoglycans, and cartilage matrix from surrounding tissue structures. Inconsistent dye quality, poor solubility, or uncontrolled staining conditions can lead to weak contrast, uneven tissue staining, and reduced reproducibility in Alcian Blue pH 2.5 or Alcian Blue-PAS staining methods.
Alcian Blue 8GX, also known as Ingrain Blue 1 or C.I. 74240, is a high-purity, water-soluble cationic copper phthalocyanine dye used for staining acidic mucopolysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, and heteroglycans in histological tissue sections. It forms salt linkages with acid groups in mucosubstances, enabling clear blue staining of target structures such as cartilage, extracellular matrix, and mucus-rich tissues.
This dark-blue powder is suitable for research applications involving histology staining, microscopy sample preparation, cartilage staining, glycoprotein detection, and Alcian Blue-PAS workflows. Staining selectivity can be adjusted by controlling pH and salt concentration, making Alcian Blue 8GX useful for differentiating carboxylated and sulfated mucosubstances under appropriate staining conditions.
Specification
| Product Name | Alcian Blue 8GX |
| Synonyms | Ingrain Blue 1; Alcian blue stain; C.I. 74240 |
| Grade | High Purity |
| CAS No. | 33864-99-2 |
| Molecular Formula | C56H68Cl4CuN16S4 |
| Molecular Weight | 1298.88 |
| Appearance | Dark-blue powder |
| Identification | PASS |
| Solubility | 75 mg dissolved in 250 mL deionized water yields a clear, bright solution |
| Dye Content | ≥50% |
| Absorption Max. Spectroscopy | Report |
| Storage | 18-25°C. Protect from moisture. |
Features
- Cationic histology dye: Forms salt linkages with acid groups of acid mucopolysaccharides and glycosaminoglycans.
- Suitable for microscopy staining: Used for tissue section staining of cartilage, extracellular matrix, mucosubstances, and proteoglycan-rich structures.
- Water-soluble dark-blue powder: Designed for preparation of clear Alcian Blue staining solutions.
- pH-dependent staining selectivity: Staining patterns can be adjusted by controlling pH and salt concentration.
- Compatible with Alcian Blue-PAS workflows: Useful in combined staining methods for visualizing acidic and neutral polysaccharide components.
- High-purity grade: Dye content ≥50% for consistent research staining applications.
Applications
- Histology staining: Used as an Alcian blue stain for detecting acid mucosubstances in histological tissue sections.
- Glycosaminoglycan staining: Suitable for staining glycosaminoglycans and acidic heteroglycans in tissue and extracellular matrix samples.
- Proteoglycan staining: Applied in studies involving sulfated proteoglycans, carboxylated proteoglycans, and cartilage matrix components.
- Cartilage and bone research: Commonly used for cartilage staining and visualization of proteoglycan-rich regions in skeletal tissue studies.
- Extracellular matrix analysis: Helps identify acidic matrix components in connective tissue, cartilage, and cell-derived matrix models.
- Alcian Blue pH 2.5 method: Used for staining carboxylated and sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides under controlled acidic conditions.
- Alcian Blue-PAS staining: Can be combined with Periodic acid-Schiff reaction to differentiate acidic mucosubstances from neutral polysaccharides, mucoproteins, glycoproteins, and glycolipids.
- Glycoprotein detection: May be used in electrophoresis-related workflows for detecting glycoproteins.
- Cell surface and intercellular substances: Supports staining of cell surface materials and intercellular components in selected tissue preparation workflows.
Principle
Alcian Blue 8GX is a tetravalent cationic dye that selectively binds negatively charged acid groups in acid mucopolysaccharides and glycosaminoglycans. This interaction produces blue staining in target tissue regions containing acidic mucosubstances, including cartilage matrix, extracellular matrix, and mucin-rich structures.
At pH 2.5, Alcian Blue staining is commonly used to visualize both carboxylated and sulfated acidic mucosubstances. At lower pH conditions, such as pH 1.0, staining selectivity can shift toward strongly sulfated groups. When combined with the PAS reaction, Alcian Blue helps distinguish acidic mucosubstances from neutral polysaccharides and glycoprotein-rich tissue components.
Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Alcian Blue 8GX used for?
Alcian Blue 8GX is used as a cationic histology dye for staining acid mucopolysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans, sulfated proteoglycans, and acidic mucosubstances in tissue sections, cartilage, and extracellular matrix samples.
Is Alcian Blue 8GX suitable for Alcian Blue pH 2.5 staining?
Yes. Alcian Blue 8GX is commonly used in pH-controlled staining methods. At pH 2.5, it is used to stain carboxylated and sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides in histological tissue sections.
Can Alcian Blue 8GX be used with PAS staining?
Yes. Alcian Blue 8GX can be combined with the Periodic acid-Schiff reaction in Alcian Blue-PAS staining workflows to help differentiate acidic mucosubstances from neutral polysaccharides, mucoproteins, glycoproteins, and related tissue components.
What tissue types are commonly stained with Alcian Blue 8GX?
Alcian Blue 8GX is commonly used for cartilage, connective tissue, mucus-rich tissues, extracellular matrix samples, and other specimens containing acidic glycosaminoglycans or proteoglycans.
How does pH affect Alcian Blue staining?
pH affects staining selectivity. At pH 2.5, Alcian Blue stains both carboxylated and sulfated acidic mucosubstances. At lower pH, staining becomes more selective for strongly sulfated groups.
What is the dye content of this Alcian Blue 8GX?
This product has a dye content of ≥50%, making it suitable for routine research staining applications requiring consistent Alcian Blue 8GX performance.
How should Alcian Blue 8GX be stored?
Store Alcian Blue 8GX at 18-25°C in a tightly closed container. Protect the powder from moisture to help maintain product quality.
Is Alcian Blue 8GX for research use only?
Yes. This product is intended for laboratory research use only and is not for human or animal drug use.
For laboratory research or industrial use only.
When can I expect my order to ship?
Most orders are filled and shipped within 2-3 business days from the time they are received.
Our standard shipping usually take 2-5 days.
We also provide express shippping for time-sensitive deliveries.
Email contact@biofargo.com if you have any requirements.
