Instant transport media for biopsied soft tissue specimens: a comparative study

Area of Science:

• Histopathology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Formalin, a standard fixative in pathology, faces restrictions due to toxicity and regulatory non-compliance.
• The need for an eco-friendly, non-toxic, and economical alternative for soft tissue specimen transport is critical.
• Current limitations necessitate innovative solutions for preserving tissue integrity during transit.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate alternative, non-toxic transport media for soft tissue specimens.
• To determine the efficacy of jaggery, honey, milk, and ice as formalin alternatives.
• To identify an economical and readily available medium for preserving histologic quality.

Main Methods:

• Goat buccal mucosa specimens were divided and placed in 20% honey, 30% jaggery, milk, and ice for 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours.
• Formalin served as the positive control for all specimen groups.
• Specimens were subsequently fixed in 10% buffered formalin, processed, stained, and evaluated by blinded expert histologists.

Main Results:

• 30% jaggery demonstrated superior tissue preservation quality, even after 24 hours.
• 20% honey and ice provided optimal preservation for up to 6 hours, with subsequent decline.
• Milk resulted in poor tissue preservation across all time points.

Conclusions:

• 30% jaggery is a highly effective and recommended transport medium for routine histopathological analysis.
• Jaggery offers a safe, economical, and eco-friendly alternative to formalin for tissue specimen transport.
• This finding supports the adoption of jaggery in standard pathology workflows for improved safety and cost-effectiveness.