Which carbohydrate staining method is useful for demonstrating amoeba?

• A. Best carmine
• B. Gram stain
• C. Giemsa stain
• D. Ziehl-Neelsen

Answer: (A)

When looking for amoebae, a staining method that highlights carbohydrate-rich components in the organism helps make them stand out clearly under the microscope. Best carmine is a carbohydrate-targeting stain used in parasitology to stain protozoa like amoebae, producing vivid contrast and revealing detail of the trophozoite and cyst forms. This makes amoebae easier to identify in stool smears or tissue sections.

The other stains don’t focus on carbohydrate structures: Gram stain targets bacteria and isn’t reliable for visualizing protozoa morphology; Giemsa stain can reveal protozoa but isn’t a carbohydrate stain; Ziehl-Neelsen is for acid-fast bacteria.