To compare and evaluate the efficacy of the groundnut oil and coconut oil with xylene as a clearing agent.

Abstract

Background: Xylene has always been the unmatched clearing medium known to be used tissue processing and staining. However, the toxic effects of “xylene” range from mild irritation to its severe form as a carcinogenic agent. Aims & objective: This study purposes to evaluate the efficacy of “coconut oil” and “groundnut oil” as a substitute in contrast to “xylene” as a clearing agent. Materials and Methods: Each of 40 specimens were fixed and then cut into three equal parts namely; Group A, Group B & Group C. Specimens were cleared in coconut oil, groundnut oil and xylene respectively and all the 3 groups were taken for Haematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and Immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Results: Both the oils displayed better results than xylene whereas the coconut oil showed superior results than groundnut oil when checked for gross tissue features, staining quality and cytomorphometric analysis. Conclusion: The results suggest that both coconut oil and groundnut oil has been shown to be an effective replacement for “xylene” as a clearing medium.