Abstract
Background: Developmental anatomy specimens offer valuable educational insights, but traditional preservation methods pose health risks, and safer alternatives like standard plastination remain prohibitively expensive for many institutions in developing countries like the Philippines. This preliminary study evaluates alternative plastination techniques for preserving piglet and ruminant specimens using room temperature dehydration with acetone (Treatment 1) and ethyl alcohol (Treatment 2), followed by passive glycerin impregnation. Methodology: Modified Elnady technique was used for plastination, two (2) piglets and one (1) gravid ruminant uterus (Treatment 1), while two (2) piglets and two (2) gravid uteri (Treatment 2) were subjected to acetone and ethyl alcohol dehydration, respectively. The plastination took about 28 weeks to complete. The weight and color of the specimens were recorded pre- and post-plastination and were analyzed descriptively. Results: Plastination caused minimal color changes, and specimens kept their flexibility, firmness, and realistic appearance. Acetone dehydration led to about 30.92–35.46% in piglets and 24.31% in ruminant uteri, while alcohol dehydration caused a similar weight loss of 33.18–35.82% in piglets and up to 34.03% in ruminant uteri, with alcohol causing slightly more tissue shrinkage than acetone, especially in piglets. Despite some shrinkage, the plastinated specimens remained morphologically intact, odorless, and appeared suitable for educational and display purposes and may serve as durable alternatives to formalin-fixed tissues. Conclusion: This study shows that both acetone and ethyl alcohol are feasible dehydration methods for room-temperature plastination of developmental anatomy specimens, producing weight reduction while preserving external morphology and yielding dry, odorless specimens with potential utility for teaching.
Keywords
Developmental anatomy specimens, Plastination, Elnady technique, Congenital malformations, Ruminant gravid uterus