Fixative properties of honey in comparison with formalin

Abstract

Fixation is an initial and important step in tissue processing for microscopical examination. The primary aim of fixation is to preserve the tissues in a life-like state, prevent bacterial putrefaction, prevent autolysis, and increase the refractive index of the tissue. The present study used a natural fixative instead of chemicals in order to prevent the deleterious effects of the chemical fixatives. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of honey as a fixative, which is a natural product. A double-blind pilot study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology with the consent of patients who were visiting the hospital for other dental problems. A total of 30 specimens were taken, fixed using formalin and honey for 24 hours and then subjected to routine processing. The tissues were then stained with hematoxylin and eosin and were subjected to evaluation. Student's t-test was performed and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science version 17 software. The numerical scores were graded from 1 to 4 and the mean standard deviation was calculated. The results showed statistically significant differences between honey and formalin samples for both nuclear details and cytoplasmic staining. Honey, as a tissue fixative, is easily available with no known toxicity and can be used as an alternative to formalin. However, studies should be done further to find methods to eliminate the disadvantages, such as homogenization, seen with the connective tissue. Furthermore, studies with large sample sizes are required to obtain more conclusive results.

Use of jaggery and honey as adjunctive cytological fixatives to ethanol for oral smears

“…who compared 10% formalin and with 10% honey solution. [ 8 ] In contrast, Patil et al . in their studies used honey and jaggery for tissue fixation at 20% and 30% concentration, respectively.…”

Natural Alternatives for Chemicals Used in Histopathology Lab- A Literature Review

“…However, the stained cytoplasm was sufficient enough to make out the integrity of the tissue. The cytoplasm of epithelial cells did not undergo any change whereas; the connective tissue cytoplasm exhibited good staining with H&E, with complete homogenization effect on the collagen fibers [12].…”

“…For several centuries, honey has been documented to possess anti-bacterial, acidic and dehydrative properties. The antiautolysis and tissue hardening property of the honey, besides its wound healing and anti-bacterial nature was highlighted in one of the studies [12]. These are the properties of a fixative that present honey in terms of a fixative rather than a preservative.…”

Comparison of Fixative Properties of Honey with Ethanol in Oral Cytological Smears

“…[7,8] Many different studies have already been done to compare honey as fixative in histopatholgy in comparison to formalin, which has provided convincing and appreciable results. [9][10][11] In honey fixed smears one could very clearly appreciate all cellular details such as nuclear, cytoplasmic staining, cellular morphology, clarity and uniformity of the staining which are almost equivalent to ethanol fixed smears. Present study in concordance with Singh A, et al [4] showed that cellularity and cell morphology were well preserved in honey which provides adequate cytological material for diagnosis.…”