94448

Gram′s crystal violet solution

for microscopy

• Synonym(s): Basic violet 3; gentian violet; hexamethyl pararosaniline; methyl violet 10B
• UNSPSC Code: 12171500
• NACRES: MA.02

Properties

• grade: for microscopy
• Quality Level: 200
• product line: BioChemika
• form: liquid
• shelf life: limited shelf life, expiry date on the label
• technique(s): microbe id | staining: suitable
• color: purple to very dark purple
• density: 0.981 g/mL at 20 °C
• εmax: 33.8 at 585-595 nm in water
• suitability: suitable for microscopy
• antibiotic activity spectrum: Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria
• application(s): diagnostic assay manufacturing; hematology; histology
• storage temp.: room temp

Description

General description

Gram’s crystal violet solution, also known as gentian violet or hexamethyl pararosaniline, is a basic, cationic, acidotropic aminoarylmethane dye. It is a hexa-N-methylated triaminotriphenylmethane with a moderately sized lipophilic cation and a slightly nonplanar conjugated system. It is used in bacteriology as the primary stain in Gram staining to differentiate Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It is known to possess antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Application

• Crystal violet is routinely used for Gram staining and its variants, staining amyloid, bacterial components, and vascular plant tissues.
• It is used in polychrome staining of epoxy resin sections, viability staining of cultured neurons, and confocal optical sectioning to analyze meiotic structures.
• It is also employed in the acridine orange-crystal violet staining of intracellular bacteria, microsporidian spores, and cytological smears.

Biochem/physiol Actions

The antimicrobial effects of crystal violet are caused by free radical generation and the formation of unionized dye-bacteria complexes. It also inhibits bacterial protein synthesis and cell wall formation and is especially effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

Principle

Crystal violet is the primary stain in Gram staining. It infiltrates the peptidoglycan-rich cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria, and forms complexes with Gram’s iodine that are entrapped and retain the purple color even after decolorization. Thus, Gram-positive bacteria can be differentiated from Gram-negative bacteria whose peptidoglycan layer is considerably thinner and does not retain crystal violet.

Safety Information

• Pictograms: GHS02,GHS08,GHS07
• Signal Word: Warning
• Hazard Statements: H226,H319,H351,H412
• Precautionary Statements: P202 - P210 - P233 - P273 - P305 + P351 + P338 - P308 + P313
• Hazard Classifications: Aquatic Chronic 3 - Carc. 2 - Eye Irrit. 2 - Flam. Liq. 3
• Storage Class Code: 3 - Flammable liquids
• WGK: WGK 2
• Flash Point(F): 93.2 °F
• Flash Point(C): 34 °C
• Personal Protective Equipment: dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves