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toluidine blue O

A blue basic dye, C15H16N3SCl, used as an antibacterial agent, as a nuclear stain, and to stain metachromatically certain structures (e.g., the granules in mast cells which are believed to contain heparin and cartilage matrix which is rich in chondroitin sulfate), and in electrophoresis to stain rNA, rNase, and mucopolysaccharides; it also antagonises the anticoagulant action of heparin.

See: tolonium chloride.