Sudan IV

Technical Specifications

Product Description & Scientific Applications

Sudan IV, also known as Oil Red IV and Solvent Red 24, is a fat-soluble disazo (bis-azo) lysochrome closely related to Sudan III. Its structure carries two methyl groups on the azo-linked rings, in contrast to the unmethylated Sudan III.

Common Scientific Applications

• Histological lipid staining: A lysochrome for the staining of lipids, triglycerides, and lipoproteins on frozen sections. Paraffin-embedded sections cannot be used, because the ethanol and xylene baths of standard processing remove tissue lipids.
• Atherosclerosis plaque mapping: Sudan IV and Oil Red O have both been used for many years to quantify lesions, though Oil Red O gives a more intense red for easier detection of lesional lipids. In atherosclerosis research, Sudan IV is applied to en face preparations of the aorta, staining lipid-rich plaques red to give a macroscopic map of plaque burden — a readout standard in apoE/LDLR-deficient mice, where stained plaque area is quantified as a percentage of the whole aorta.
• Oil-soluble industrial colorant: Used commercially to colour plastics, textiles, waxes, heating oil, grease, and acrylic emulsions.
• Food-adulteration reference standard: Although Sudan dyes are banned as food colorants, Sudan IV is added illegally to foods such as palm oil, and it therefore serves as an analytical reference standard for chromatographic and immunoassay screening of Sudan dyes.

Shipping Destinations

• EU & UK: Priority delivery, 2–5 business days.
• United States (DDP): 3–7 business days, duties and taxes prepaid.
• EFTA Countries (DDP): 3–7 business days, duties and taxes prepaid.
• Worldwide: 7–14 business days, selected locations.