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Comparative Tissue Stainability of Lawsonia inermis (Henna) and Eosin as Counterstains to Hematoxylin in Brain Tissues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2015

Judith N. Alawa ,
Gbenga O. Gideon ,
Bamidele Adetiba  and
Clement B. Alawa
Judith N. Alawa*
Affiliation:
Department of Human Anatomy, Ahmadu Bello University, #56 Sokoto Zaria Road Samaru, Zaria 810271, Kaduna, Nigeria
Gbenga O. Gideon
Affiliation:
Department of Human Anatomy, Ahmadu Bello University, #56 Sokoto Zaria Road Samaru, Zaria 810271, Kaduna, Nigeria
Bamidele Adetiba
Affiliation:
Department of Human Anatomy, Ahmadu Bello University, #56 Sokoto Zaria Road Samaru, Zaria 810271, Kaduna, Nigeria
Clement B. Alawa
Affiliation:
National Animal Production and Research Institute, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Sokoto Road Samaru, Zaria 810271, Kaduna, Nigeria
*
*Corresponding author. judyalawa@yahoo.com
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Abstract

We hyposthesized that henna staining could provide an alternative to eosin when used as a counterstain to hematoxylin for understanding basic neurohistological principles. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the suitability of henna as counterstain to hematoxylin for the demonstration of the layer stratification and cellular distribution in the brain tissue. Henna stained nervous tissue by reacting with the basic elements in proteins via its amino groups. It stained the neuropil and connective tissue membranes brown and effectively outlined the perikarya of neurons with no visible nuclei demonstrating that it is an acidic dye. Henna as a counterstain to hematoxylin demonstrated reliability as a new neurohistological stain. It facilitated identification of cortical layer stratification and cellular distribution in brain tissue sections from Wistar rats. This was comparable to standard hematoxylin and eosin staining as morphological and morphometrical analyses of stained cells did not show significant differences in size or number. This study presents a method for staining with henna and demonstrates that although henna and eosin belong to different dye groups (anthraquinone and xanthenes, respectively) based on their chromophores, they share similar staining techniques and thus could be used interchangeably in neurohistology.

Keywords

lawsonia inermishennaneurohistologyhematoxylineosin
Type
Biological Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 343 - 350
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2015 

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