Southgate's mucicarmine is used to demonstrate which component in tissue sections?

• A. Epithelial acid mucins
• B. Elastic fibers
• C. Calcium deposits
• D. Acid-fast bacilli

Answer: (A)

Southgate’s mucicarmine specifically highlights acidic mucins produced by epithelial cells and mucin-secreting glands. The stain binds to these acidic mucopolysaccharides and renders them a magenta-red color, making goblet cells and mucin-producing tumor cells stand out against the rest of the tissue. This is why it’s the best choice for demonstrating epithelial acid mucins.

Elastic fibers would require an elastic stain (for example, Verhoeff or similar), calcium deposits are seen with calcium-specific stains (like von Kossa or Alizarin Red), and acid-fast bacilli are identified with acid-fast bacterial stains (such as Ziehl-Neelsen). These do not target mucins, so they wouldn’t be demonstrated by Southgate’s mucicarmine.