Chemical Structures and Staining Mechanisms of Weigert'S Resorcin-Fuchsin and Related Elastic Fiber Stains

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Abstract
Chemical properties of Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin, orcinol-new fuchsia, Sheridan's crystal violet and their resorcinol-free analogues were investigated using reverse-phase and gel filtration chromatography, electrophoresis, and visible light spectroscopy. Their staining properties were also studied. It was concluded that 1) the staining components of Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin, orcinol-new fuchsin and their resorcinol-free analogues are all indamine oligomers, 2) resorcinol is required for the production of Sheridan's crystal violet, the staining components of which consist of crystal violet substituted by varying numbers of resorcinyl substituents, 3) the staining components of all preparations are canonic (i.e., basic) dyes, 4) iron is present in staining solutions as the tetrachlorofemte anion (FeCI4−) and not as Fe+++ or as a dye-chelate, and 5) since even the smallest Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin, orcinol-new fuchsin or Sheridan's crystal violet component has a conjugated bond number of 32, die observed staining of elastic fibers is only as expected.