As a matter of fact i have done just that. I had an urgent request for a 
Movat and not having time to wait for the 6 wk delivery period, asked if the 
requestor, something of a gourmet chef to supply the saffron! I extracted 
the dye (according to a protocol I found) in ethanol using a distillation 
coil to collect the concentrate once the ethanolic soln was heated - worked 
like a charm on the sections.

Louise Renton
BRU
Johannesburg
South Africa


>From: "J. A. Kiernan" 
>To: Bernard Ian R SSgt 59 CRES/MSROP 
>CC: "Histonet (E-mail)" 
>Subject: Re: Does anyone know once again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 15:15:15 -0400
>
>Bernard Ian R SSgt 59 CRES/MSROP wrote:
> >
> > Hey another question. Cell Point does not have Safran du Gatinais 
>chemical.
> > Does anyone no where I can get some?
>
>This was the name of the saffron (a yellow dye obtained
>from crocus stigmas) used by P.J.Masson in his trichrome
>technique (now usually done with a different set of
>dyes), and it's also the yellow collagen stain in
>Movat's 1955 "pentachrome" procedure.
>
>A fairly recent paper recommends using saffron
>bought from a health food store - Garvey, W (1991)
>J. Histotechnol. 14: 163-165. It might be necessary
>to fiddle with the concentration, because it's
>sold for use as a food colorant, not for labs.
>
>--
>-------------------------
>John A. Kiernan
>Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
>The University of Western Ontario
>London,   Canada   N6A 5C1
>    kiernan@uwo.ca
>    http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/


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