Natural dyes have been used for staining wool, silk, carpet and cotton in addition to their uses in staining of tissue microscopical sections. The binding of dyes to textile products has been studied for many years, but is still not fully understood. Less is known about the interaction between the dye and tissue components. Black mulberry (Morus nigra) fruits have strong staining activity and a distinct flavour with juicy and acidic characteristics making them attractive for use in the processing industry in products such as fruit juice, ice cream, jelly, and jam. This study investigated a new staining method using black mulberry as natural source of dye for nervous tissues. Whole brain of adult Wistar rats (8-10 weeks old) were removed, immersed in 4% paraformaldehyde fixative, and embedded in paraffin. Sections, 7-10 micrometre from brain hippocampus, cortex, thalamus and hypothalamus were collected and then stained by using the new method (dye extracted from black mulberry) and haematoxylin & eosin staining method for control. By using the dye extracted from black mulberry, neurobiologists and zoologists can make identification and differentiation between different brain parts and can also differentiate between nervous tissue cells. Staining with this dye can be an alternative to high cost and time-consuming current chemical staining methods.
Key words: Natural dyes, Mulberry, Nervous tissues, Brain, Rat
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