Effects of chemistry, manufacturing and concentration of the dye basic fuchsin regarding its use in quantitative cytophotometry

Four separately manufactured preparations of basic fuchsin were compared to determine the effects of concentration, chemistry, and the manufacturing process for their quantitative value in the nuclear Feulgen reaction. In order to make the necessary comparisons, the two wavelength method of quantitative cytophotometry was employed to analyse each stain application regarding DNA measurements. Chicken erythrocytes, and myxamoebae and plasmodia of Didymium iridis were employed as experimental tissues. Results indicated that all four preparations of the stains yielded acceptable and valid quantitative data in relative DNA values. Differing manufacturers and dye concentrations had no appreciable effect on relative quantitative measurements. However, the maximum staining intensity was affected by differences both in the chemical structure of the individual stains and by the products from various manufacturers. The maximum dye intensity and accurate quantitative absolute values for DNA measurement were best obtained by the use of basic fuchsin having the same colour index (Cl) 42510 as that manufactured by Fisher Scientific Incorporated.