Plastination of macroparasites: An eco-friendly method of long-term preservation

Abstract

Aim:Preservation of macroparasites by infiltrating the polymer in the tissues can defy the inherited shortcoming of classical wet preservation method.Materials and Methods:Preservation was done by infiltrating the melamine alone or with xylene (MX)/chloroform (MC)/turpentine oil (MT) in 1:1 and hardener (MH) in 9:1 ratio in the tissues of the gross specimen of the animal parasites.Results:The plastinated models withstand the process of microbial decomposition, and remain intact in the environmental conditions. The polymer mixture resists the entry of the water molecule, and model dried just after taking out it from the water tank. Overall, the plastinated parasites were dry, non-sticky, glossy, odorless, chemical free, and harmless, to some extent flexible, with detectable morphological structure, and retain their natural form but lost their natural color. Full marks were assigned to the degree of dryness, non-stickiness, and odorlessness to the model plastinated in different solutions on a five-point scale. For flexibility, the score was 1.2, 2.2, and 2.4 for the plastinated model in melamine/MH, MX/MC, and MT solutions, respectively. The average score of glossiness was 4.6 and 5 for the specimen plastinated in melamine/MH and MX/MC/MT solutions, respectively. The degree of dryness, glossiness, stickiness, and flexibility varies non-significantly, with the polymer mixtures used.Conclusion:The prepared model can be used to educate the students/general mass population.

Dry preservation of Toxocara vitulorum by plastination technique

“…It is the need of the time to have an alternative method of preservation of the biological samples. Being a dry method of preservation, the plastination technique can be an excellent alternative with higher health and safety regulations, as it lowers the risk of undue exposure to the formaldehyde [17,18]. Furthermore, plastinated specimens are easy to carry, palpable, with clearly visible structure, and can be stored for an infinite period at room temperature [22].…”

“…For the first time, Asadi and Mahmodzaeh [13] had used S10 plastination technique to plastinate the Ascaris lumbricoide s. Since then, scientists did necessary changes in the plastination protocol to develop ideal plastinated parasites based on size and morphology [14-17].…”

“…In the present investigation, plastination technique was performed as per the method described by Kumar et al . [17] with certain modification. The worms were washed vigorously for 24 h in the cold water (5°C) to remove the formalin solution [14].…”

“…Further plastinated tissues minimize the daily exposure of learner and technical staff to a hazardous substance like formaldehyde [9]. The technique gain popularity among the anatomist, while very few parasitologists have reported its practical utility in preserving the parasites [13-17]. Melamine is one of the important polymers for the plastination technique [17,18].…”

“…The technique gain popularity among the anatomist, while very few parasitologists have reported its practical utility in preserving the parasites [13-17]. Melamine is one of the important polymers for the plastination technique [17,18]. Melamine, a nitrogen-rich heterocyclic triazine, is mainly used to manufacture the plastics, coatings materials, filters, adhesives, dishware, and kitchenware [19,20].…”