Specificity of Staining Methods for Mucopolysaccharides of the Hyaluronic Acid Type

Abstract

Three preparations of hyaluronic acid of different degrees of purity were subjected to the periodic acid Schiff technic. The purest preparation failed to stain, while the reaction in the case of the remaining two was unaffected by incubation with hyaluronidase. The dye binding capacities of these preparations were not in accord with the observations of previous workers; Hale's method for the demonstration of hyaluronic acid was found to be nonspecific.