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Sigma-Aldrich

Lugol solution

according to Lugol

Synonym(s):

Iodine/Potassium iodide solution

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About This Item

MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12171500
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
MA.02

form

liquid

Quality Level

quality

according to Lugol

density

1.006 g/cm3 at 20 °C

application(s)

diagnostic assay manufacturing
food and beverages
hematology
histology

storage temp.

room temp

SMILES string

[K+].[I-].II

InChI

1S/I2.HI.K/c1-2;;/h;1H;/q;;+1/p-1

InChI key

XUEKKCJEQVGHQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-M

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General description

Lugol′s solution is a ready-to-use solution that comprises 6% iodine in 4% potassium iodide. It is commonly used as a mordant for Gram staining in bacteriology. It is used for staining bacterial target structures for diagnostic purposes by fixing, staining, counterstaining, and mounting bacteriological specimen materials.

Application

  • Lugol′s solution is generally used as a mordant in Gram staining, and for fixing invertebrate blood cells and protozoa.
  • It is suitable for the detection of starch in plants.
  • It has been used in a study to assess narrow-band imaging without image magnification for detecting high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
  • It has been used in a study to determine its benefit in aiding the detection, presence, and spread of small squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Iodine diffuses rapidly through hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains of tissues and loosely binds to proteins, staining them brown. It reacts irreversibly with unsaturated lipid linkages and with tyrosine and histidine aromatic rings.

Features and Benefits

  • Ready-to-use solution.

Principle

In bacteriology, Gram staining allows rapid differentiation between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The mureine structure of the bacterial cell wall is the basis of the color affinity. Bacteria are first stained with the primary stain, crystal violet. Lugol solution is added thereafter as the mordant, forming crystal violet-iodine complexes. During the decolorization, these complexes stay entrapped in the multilayer mureine structure of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria which appear blue-violet. Gram-negative bacteria have a single-layered cell wall that does not retain the dye-iodine complexes and are counterstained with safranine solution, appearing pink.

Storage Class Code

10 - Combustible liquids

WGK

WGK 2

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’.

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Jason M Cole et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(25), 6335-6340 (2018-06-07)
In the field of X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) there is a growing need to reduce acquisition times at high spatial resolution (approximate micrometers) to facilitate in vivo and high-throughput operations. The state of the art represented by synchrotron light sources
Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and Practice
J.A. Kiernan
Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and Practice (2015)

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