Safranin-O, also known as basic red 2, is a biological stain used in histology and cytology. Safranin is used as a counterstain in some staining protocols, colouring all cell nuclei red. It can also be used for the detection of cartilage, mucin and mast cell granules.

Application

Safranin is a cationic dye used in histology and cytology to distinguish and identify different tissues and cells. It is popular in medical research for staining acidic proteoglycan that is found in cartilage tissues, enabling researchers to analyze cell chondrogenesis.