A new approach to preservation of some organs using alkyd resin

Organ preservation using alkyd resin was studied. In this new approach, water and lipids in some organs were removed and replaced by glycerol and alkyd resin using minimum equipment and inexpensive chemical substances such as varnish, thinner and glycerol. For reference, materials prepared with a conventional fixation and dehydration procedure were compared with those obtained by the new embedding and impregnation process followed by hardening. The materials obtained by the new method were dry, odourless, flexible, durable and natural in colour and texture. These materials can be used for a long time without decay and are suitable as teaching materials in anatomy, pathology and parasitology and as museum specimens. They can also be used in surgery lessons as teaching materials and in stereological microscopy studies.