Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of coconut water and to analyze the use of coconut water solution for the conservation of human corneas. This was an experimental and controlled study performed at the Eye Bank of the General Hospital of Fortaleza. The coconut water-based solution was prepared at the Goat Seed Technology Laboratory of the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the State University of Ceará. Discarded corneas from the Eye Bank were divided into two groups for sequential experiments: G1, coconut water-based solution (experimental group), and G2, conservative treatment with OPTISOL GS® (control group). The osmolality of corneas in G1 was analyzed sequentially at 275, 300, 325, 345, 365, and 400 mOsm/L. The viability of the corneas was determined by specular microscopy and biomicroscopy on the first, third, and seventh days. Corneas preserved in a solution of 365 and 345 mOsm/L had a transparency of 8 mm until the third day and had diffuse edema in the periphery, central folds, and partial epithelium loss until the seventh day. The 365-mOsm/L solution was associated with the worst results during follow-up. Corneas placed in Optisol-GS retained their original aspects. Coconut water-based preservative partially maintained corneal transparency and epithelial integrity, especially during the first three days of follow-up. The coconut water-based solutions used were not effective for use as preservatives in a human eye bank.
Highlights
The cornea has a complex structure and has important optical and protective roles.[1]
We ana lyzed the corneeas in pairs, with one cornea belonging to G1 and the other to G2 (Optisol GS®), which had a pH of 7.30 and an osmolarity of 365 mOsm/L
Coconut water has been described in several studies as an alternative tissue conservation product, and it was chosen as the nutritive medium for the preservative solution in question because of its physicochemical cha rac teristics, low, cost and abundance in our region
Summary
The cornea has a complex structure and has important optical and protective roles.[1]. The human cornea endothelium is a monolayer of hexagonal cells, which are responsible for the main-. This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attributions 4.0 International License. The function of the endothelium can be estimated in vivo by evaluating the corneal thickness (pachymetry) and morphological surface integrity using specular microscopy[5]. In 1953, Stocker demonstrated the importance of corneal endothelium in maintaining the transparency of the cornea[6]. After this observation, corneal preservation methods were focused on maintenance of endothelial function and morphological integrity[7]
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