Auramine is an aniline dye used as a disinfectant and an antiseptic agent. It is weakly fluorescing and binds specifically to certain proteins. It is very soluble in water and soluble in ethanol.
Auramine O has been used to study the cuticle/cutin in the epidermis of the pollen presenter in Vangueria infausta. Auramine O is used for the staining of acid-fast organisms, coccidia. Auramine O along with carbol generates brilliant yellow fluorochrome of tubercle bacilli. It is effective in detecting positive cases of tuberculosis. Auramine O binds to the mycolic acid in the bacterial cell wall.
Auramine O is Basic yellow 2 is a diarylmethane dye used as a fluorescent stain. In its pure form, Auramine O appears as yellow needle crystals.
Auramine O can be used to stain acid-fast bacteria (e.g. Mycobacterium), where it binds to the mycolic acid in its cell wall) in a way similar to Ziehl-Neelsen stain. It can also be used as a fluorescent version of Schiff reagent.
Auramine O can be used together with Rhodamine B as the Truant auramine-rhodamine stain for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can be also used as an antiseptic agent.
Commercially Auramine O can be used in the dyeing of acrylic fibres, silk and cotton fiber; also applied in the dyeing of leather, paper, hemp and viscose; Auramine O can also be used in the direct printing and blotch discharge printing of tannin mordant dyed cotton, and also used to produce colour lake and used in inks.