Research Information System
International Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Research, vol.11, no.3, pp.271-276, 2018 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
The staining of anemic human blood cells by red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) extract has been investigated. Potassium aluminum sulfate (alum, KAlSO4•12H2O), FeSO4, CuSO4•5H2O or K2Cr2O7 were used as mordants. Red cabbage leaves were extracted with distilled water at 100°C for 30 min and the liquid portion was separated from the precipitate by filtration. A two-drop blood sample was obtained from a 30-year-old male anemia patient. The sample was spread as a peripheral smear on ten glass slides and allowed to dry at room temperature. The slides were into beakers, which contained red cabbage extract. Every extract included, respectively, alum, FeSO4, CuSO4•5H2O or K2Cr2O7. However, mordant was not added to one beaker. The beakers were kept in the oven at 50° C for 1 hrs. The staining procedure was repeated at 100°C for one hour. The slides were then washed with distilled water, airdried and viewed at 1000 magnification. As a result, we found that blood cells stained at high temperature and with mordant.
Blood cells were not effectively stained without alum and at 50°C. However, different blood cells were stained with different mordants at 100°C for one hour in different colors. Brassica oleracea has the potential for use as a stain for studies of anemic human blood cells.