Review on the comparative study between honey and formalin as histological fixatives

Abstract

Background: In the field of histology, pathology and cell biology, tissue fixation is a critical step in the preparation of histological sections because it preserves the cells and
tissue components. Formalin has been the most widely used fixative in cellular pathology since fixation aims at preventing autolysis and putrefaction. As a result of increasing concerns about its effect as a potential carcinogenic fixative, attempts have been made to find several alternatives. Honey for centuries has been known for its antimicrobial and preservative effects. In addition, studies have shown that honey has acidic and dehydrative properties.
Aim: This study was aimed to ascertain if honey can be safe and acceptable fixative instead of formalin in the histological fixation of tissues.
Methodology: Rabbit’s liver and kidney were fixed in honey at various concentrations from 10-100% diluted in distilled water. Tissues were fixed for a period of 24 hours – 7 days respectively; processed to paraffin wax, sectioned and stained by Haematoxylin and Eosin staining technique and examined microscopically.
Result: Result obtained showed that tissues fixed for 24hours at low concentration of honey gave a comparable result with those obtained by formalin fixed control tissues. Higher concentration of honey showed hardening of tissue and difficulty in sectioning.
Conclusion: From this study, honey, known to be a preservative can also act as a fixative for a short period of time. The best concentration been 10% and 20% with the morphologic features well preserved.