Z. officinale Useful Natural Alternative to Haematoxylin and Eosin Staining Method in dentistry practice, Finds Study

The researchers note that synthetic dyes, including eosin, commonly used in histopathology, pose significant health and environmental risks due to their toxicity, cost, and potential for allergic reactions. In response to growing concerns about the safety and sustainability of synthetic materials, there has been increasing interest in eco-friendly and biodegradable alternatives. Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Curcuma longa (turmeric) are natural sources that contain polyphenolic and other coloring compounds, which have the potential to offer a safer, more sustainable solution for tissue staining in histology.

Against the above background, Dr. Mitul Prajapati, Ahmedabad Dental College and Hospital, Bhadaj Ranchhodpura Road, Nr. Science City, Ta: Kalol, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, and colleagues aimed to compare the staining efficacy of ginger and turmeric dyes by evaluating various factors, including nuclear and cytoplasmic staining, overall histologic appearance, as well as the intensity and contrast of the staining.

For this purpose, the researchers collected fresh rhizomes of Zingiber officinale (Z. officinale) and Curcuma longa (C. longa), preparing the dyes by dissolving the dried powders of both extracts into 70% alcohol. These dyes were then used to stain tissue sections from 10 cases of oral submucous fibrosis. The stained slides were independently evaluated based on various parameters such as nuclear and cytoplasmic staining, overall histologic appearance, intensity, and contrast of staining. The statistical significance of the results was assessed using the Chi-square test.

The study led to the following findings:

• Z. officinale demonstrated better staining efficacy compared to C. longa.
• The cytoplasm of the cell and connective tissue components were stained with pale eosin by Z. officinale, while C. longa produced a yellow to golden yellow color.
• No statistically significant difference was observed in nuclear staining.
• A significant difference was found in cytoplasmic staining, overall histologic appearance, staining intensity, and contrast.

'Our study found that Z. officinale provided superior staining compared to C. longa. While eosin remains the gold standard in histological staining, Z. officinale and C. longa offer a cost-effective, readily available, biodegradable, natural, and safe alternative to eosin in the haematoxylin and eosin staining method," the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Prajapati, Mitul1,2; Shah, Monali1; Ranginwala, Amena1; Bhojak, Hiren1; Nayak, Saurabh1; Agarwal, Prakhar3. Staining Efficacy of Zingiber Officinale and Curcuma Longa as a Natural Alternative to Eosin - A Comparative Study. Indian Journal of Dental Research 35(3):p 295-298, Jul–Sep 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/ijdr.ijdr_550_23