The most commonly used histological stain, hematoxylin is a natural compound extracted from a species of tree found in Mexico and the West Indies. The extracted compound is oxidized to produce hematein, the active staining component of the hematoxylin stain. The production of histological staining solutions is an art. Only a few laboratories are capable of developing a stain of reliable vibrance.
At National Diagnostics we have gone one step further. Our proprietary methods achieve the finest control of the ripening process,resulting in the only commercially available Harris’ Hematoxylin with a full one year shelf-life.
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Harris' Hematoxylin Protocol
Staining Procedure
- Stain rehydrated sections in Hematoxylin solution for 20-40 minutes.
- Wash in tap water for 1-5 minutes, until sections turn blue ("bluing").
- Differentiate sections in 70% ethanol—containing 1% HCl—for 5 seconds. This removes excess dye, allowing nuclear details to emerge.
- Wash 1-5 minutes in tap water until blue.
- Stain in Eosin solution for 10 minutes.
- Wash 1-5 minutes in tap water.
- Dehydrate, clear and mount.
Note the use of tap water in the washing steps—tap water provides the alkanlinity necessary for the "bluing" process.