Which of the following is a characterization method/dye to determine the integrity of the cell membrane?

Calcein-AM is a highly effective characterization method used to assess the integrity of the cell membrane. This dye is a non-fluorescent compound that easily penetrates live cells due to its ability to pass through intact cell membranes. Once inside the cell, Calcein-AM is hydrolyzed by intracellular esterases into Calcein, which is a bright green fluorescent compound that indicates cell viability and membrane integrity.

The ability of Calcein-AM to indicate membrane integrity is vital; if the cell membrane is compromised, the dye cannot enter, and thus no fluorescence will be emitted, signaling cell death or membrane damage. This property makes it a reliable marker for researchers studying cell health in tissue engineering applications, where maintaining cell viability is critical.

In contrast, the other dyes listed have different specific applications. For instance, Acridine orange is used to stain nucleic acids and can indicate changes in membrane permeability but does not specifically assess membrane integrity. Rhodamine-123 is a mitochondrial dye that assesses mitochondrial function rather than overall cell membrane integrity. Hoechst 33342, while useful for staining DNA, is also not specifically tailored for measuring membrane integrity. Therefore, Calcein-AM stands out as the most suitable dye among the options for evaluating cell