Oil Red O

Oil Red O is a lysochrome diazo dye used for staining of neutral triglycerides and lipids on frozen sections and some lipoproteins on paraffin sections. It has the appearance of a red powder with an absorbance maximum at 518 nanometers.

Uses

Oil Red O is one of the dyes used for Sudan staining. Similar dyes include Sudan III, Sudan IV, and Sudan Black B. The staining has to be performed on fresh samples, as alcohol fixation removes most lipids. Oil Red O largely replaced Sudan III and Sudan IV, as it provides much deeper red color and the stains are therefore much easier to see.
Oil Red O can be used to mark lipid-containing vacuoles, particularly in cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or Burkitt's lymphoma. It can also be used to stain liver sections for histological analysis, quantify cell lipid content, and to stain the aorta to examine lesions from atherosclerosis.
In pyrotechnics, Oil Red O is used in some compositions of red colored smokes.

Forensic

When staining, Oil Red O can make fat more visible in various cuts in pathology.
It is also used in a technique, discovered in 2004 by Alexandre Beaudoin, for staining latent fingerprints. This technique allows the development of latent fingerprints on porous exhibits that are dry or wet.
It mainly targets fat deposits on the surface of porous exhibits. It is a non-destructive technique.
It is a safe alternative to the Physical Developer method, and is also used in sequence with other methods of fingerprints development.