Berberine sulfate

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Berberine sulfate

Description

Yellow needle crystals obtained from the roots of the barberry (Berberis vulgaris) or goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) plants. Berberine sulfate is used as a Fluorochrome for biological staining where it has a mean excitation wavelength of 430 nm (violet/blue) and a mean emission wavelength of 550 nm (Wolbers et al., 1990).

Synonyms and Related Terms

berberine sulphate (Br.); barberry (Berberis vulgaris); goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Risks

Toxic by ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption.

Physical and Chemical Properties

Soluble in ethanol. Slightly soluble in water.

Composition (C20H18NO4)2-SO4-3H2O

Resources and Citations

  • Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
  • Richard C. Wolbers, Nanette T. Sterman, Chris Stavroudis, Notes for Workshop on New Methods in the Cleaning of Paintings, J.Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1990
  • The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 1192