Haematoxylin CAS# 517-28-2

Hematoxylin, or C.I. 75290, a colorless or light grayish yellow powder, is not itself a dye and is extracted from the heartwood of the wood. Oxidation forms hematoxylin, which binds with certain specific metal ions (mainly Fe(III) and Al(III)) to form a colored complex. Used to stain the nuclei so that they can be observed under a microscope. Hematoxylin-eosin staining is commonly used in histology, and can stain the nucleus with deep purple, and the staining procedure is not complicated. Staining is permanent (and potassium iodide solution staining is temporary). In the 1970s, due to the oversampling of forests in Brazil and Central America, which resulted in a shortage of wood, the prices of hematoxylin soared, the diagnostic costs of histopathology increased, and people began to search for other nuclear staining methods. Substitutes have not yet been found, and the output of picking wood has picked up again.