Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(4)

Key Documents

A5268

Sigma-Aldrich

Alcian Blue 8GX

powder

Synonym(s):

Alcian Blue, Ingrain Blue 1

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Empirical Formula (Hill Notation):
C56H68Cl4CuN16S4
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
1298.86
Colour Index Number:
74240
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12171500
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.47

form

powder

composition

Dye content, 45-65%

technique(s)

microbe id | staining: suitable

color

blue

solubility

H2O: 1 mg/mL

εmax

425 at 615-630 nm in water

application(s)

diagnostic assay manufacturing
hematology
histology

storage temp.

room temp

SMILES string

[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].CN(C)C(\SCc1ccc2c3nc(nc4n5[Cu]n6c(nc7nc(nc5c8cc(CS\C(N(C)C)=[N+](\C)C)ccc48)c9ccc(CS\C(N(C)C)=[N+](\C)C)cc79)c%10ccc(CS\C(N(C)C)=[N+](\C)C)cc%10c6n3)c2c1)=[N+](/C)C

InChI

1S/C56H68N16S4.4ClH.Cu/c1-65(2)53(66(3)4)73-29-33-17-21-37-41(25-33)49-57-45(37)62-50-43-27-35(31-75-55(69(9)10)70(11)12)19-23-39(43)47(59-50)64-52-44-28-36(32-76-56(71(13)14)72(15)16)20-24-40(44)48(60-52)63-51-42-26-34(18-22-38(42)46(58-51)61-49)30-74-54(67(5)6)68(7)8;;;;;/h17-28H,29-32H2,1-16H3;4*1H;/q+2;;;;;+2/p-4

InChI key

CKLBXIYTBHXJEH-UHFFFAOYSA-J

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

Alcian Blue 8GX, also known as Ingrain Blue 1, is a basic copper phthalocyanine dye whose copper content imparts a blue color. It is tetravalent, cationic, and water-soluble in nature. It forms salt linkages with the acid groups of acid mucopolysaccharides.

Application

  • Alcian Blue 8GX has been used for the staining and precipitation of glycosaminoglycans and as a heteroglycan stain for neutral, sulfated, and phosphated mucopolysaccharides and glycosaminoglycans in tissues such as cartilage and extracellular matrices.
  • It has been employed in the in vivo visualization of intravascular Bonghan ducts and corpuscles in murine models.
  • It has been used to develop a novel histochemical staining method to assess multiple respiratory parameters in various species.

Features and Benefits

Desired staining patterns can be obtained by manipulating pH and salt concentrations.

Principle

The Alcian blue staining is easily combined with the Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction. In the tissue, acid mucosubstances are stained selectively and nuclear fast red is commonly used as counterstain. In combination with the PAS reaction, non-substituted polysaccharides, neutral mucopolysaccharides, muco- and glycoproteins, and glycol- and phospholipids can be visualized in addition. An Acetic acid-Alcian blue solution is used for the staining, whereby carboxylated and sulfatic proteoglycans are selectively stained when a pH of 2.5 is applied. The differentiation between carboxyl and sulfate groups is only possible at pH 1.

Storage Class Code

11 - Combustible Solids

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Customers Also Viewed

Slide 1 of 1

1 of 1

Histotechnology: A Self-instructional Text (3rd ed.)
Freida L. Carson & Christa Hladik
Histotechnology: A Self Instructional Text, 4th Edition (2009)
Alcian Blue and Pyronine Y Histochemical Stains Permit Assessment of Multiple Parameters in Pulmonary Disease Models
Meyerholz, et al.
Veterinary Pathology, 46 (2009)
Exposure of human cartilage tissue to low concentrations of blood for a short period of time leads to prolonged cartilage damage: an in vitro study.
Jansen NW, et al.
Arthritis and Rheumatism, 56, 199-207 (2007)
In vivo visualization of Bonghan ducts inside blood vessels of mice by using an Alcian blue staining method
Yoo, et al.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 46 (2008)
Replacement of the medial tibial plateau by a metallic implant in a goat model.
Custers RJ, et al.
Journal of Orthopaedic Research : Official Publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 28, 429-435 (2010)

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service