Evaluation of Four Techniques for the Preservation of the Porcine Stomach

In the study of the anatomy of domestic animals, it is challenging to have specimens of all species for dissection.Therefore, it is important to have preserved anatomical pieces of all species.However, most preservation techniques use toxic reagents, primarily formaldehyde, which is classified as carcinogenic.This study aimed to evaluate four preservation techniques for porcine stomachs: aqueous formalin, phenolated glycerine, alglifen, and alcohol-propylene glycol (developed at FES Cuautitln UNAM).The size, weight, color, and texture of the preserved organs were assessed.The study found no statistically significant differences in the size and weight of organs preserved before and after the techniques.However, the aqueous formalin technique produces organs that emit irritating vapors due to the use of aqueous formalin.There were no significant changes in color that affected the anatomical study of the obtained pieces.When evaluated with a colorimeter, it was found that the alcohol-propylene glycol and alglifen techniques produced pieces with a predominance of yellow, the glycerin-phenol technique resulted in pieces with a predominance of red, and the aqueous formalin technique produced more whitish pieces.Evaluation of the texture revealed that the alcohol-propylene glycol technique resulted in softer and more flexible pieces, while with the other three techniques, the organs appeared more rigid.In conclusion, all four techniques preserved the organs adequately, showing no signs of decomposition.The alcohol-propylene glycol technique, which produces soft parts suitable for teaching, uses reagents with no toxicity, unlike the other techniques that use formalin and/or phenol.