Improved determination of macroscopic parasite preparations using S10 modified plastination procedure

Abstract

Macroscopic preparations of parasites fixed in formaldehyde or alcohol don’t fulfill in complete the requests for education, as well as their determination, mainly because of the toxic fumes and not enough visible structure of fixed parasite. Using the modified С10 plastination method, parasites from three different phylum were prepared: Plathelminthes: Class Cestoda (Dipilidum caninum, Moniezia spp and larvae from T.Echinococcus granulosus - Echinococcus unilocularis, larvae from T. pisiformis - Cysticercus pisiformis, , larvae from T. hidatigena - Cysticercus tenuicollis), Phylum Nemathelminthes, Class Nematoda, (Ascaris suum, Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus, Diro filaria immitis), Phylum Arthropoda, Class Arachnida (tick from the Ixodidae family) and Class Insecta (Gasterophilus intestinalis, Hypoderma bovis). The aim of this study was conserving the parasites in native condition with plastination method and improved determination according to their visible morphologic structure. Parasites were previously kept in 10% formaldehyde. Prepared parasites were dry, chemical free, not toxic and safe for the environment, flexible and with detained form and structure. There was a variation in the natural colors in some of the parasites, as a result from long-time formalin fixation. Preparations made with this method are permanent educative material which enables improved study of parasite’s structure.

Keywords

• plastination
• parasites
• macroscopic preparation
• determination