There is a stain for bilirubin as part of bile, Hall's stain.

http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/HISTHTML/MANUALS/BILE.PDF

Is this, what you are looking for?

Hi Gudrun Lang

Thanks for the suggestion, I want to detect bile acids (such as cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid)  in some histology section.

So do you think this stain is suitable for my purpose?

Hi, Mohamed A.A. Mahdy

Thanks for your help.

We have good experience with Stein's iodine test for the histological analysis of bile pigments.

Hi J-O. Habek,

Just for clarification, staining for bile pigments means staining for bile acids?

Hi Mohamed,

Bile acids comprise about 80% of the organic compounds in bile. We use this staining to detect bile in tumor cells, e.g. metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

The principle of Hall's stain is the producing a green, emerald pigment by combination of ferric chlorid to bilirubin or biliverdin. So I don't think, that can be used for specific demonstration of bile acids. But it can show you, where bile is located in the section.

Hi Habek,

Can you please provide me with more details via email ([email protected])?

Hi Gudrun Lang,

Thanks for your explaining, yes in this case the pigment will not be the best option now yet it can be considered in future experiments.

Hi Mohamed,

Special stains for bile acids will not give you the answer. We use HPLC for detection of specific bile acids. A stain will be informative showing you the "load" of total bile acids and their production and of course distribution. Separation of certain bile acid "species" is a matter of other methods.

Best,

Ivan

sorry no more sugestions

W.K.

Thank you all for your answers.

Anyone one can recommend a flourimetric bile acid detection kit suitable for fish larvae?