COMPARATIVE STUDY ON STAINING INTERACTION OF AQUEOUS AND METHANOL EXTRACTS OF Beta vulgaris (BEETROOT) BULB ON SELECTED TISSUES OF WISTAR RAT

Abstract

Staining is essentially the process of artificially coloring a tissue to make it easier to examine, using a colored organic compound known as stain. Beta vulgaris was investigated for its staining potential on selected Wistar rat tissues using aqueous and methanolic extracts. The aim of this research was to evaluate the comparative study on staining interaction of aqueous and methanol extracts of beta vulgaris (beetroot) bulb on selected tissues of wistar rat. Two different sections of brain and spleen were used in the study. Each organ was exposed to two types of extracts, aqueous and methanol. For every extract, two concentrations (1 g and 2 g) were tested. Each concentration was then applied for two different exposure times: 2 minutes and 4 minutes. For all organs and extract types, H&E-stained sections served as the control. These control samples provided a baseline reference for normal histological appearance, allowing comparison with the treated tissues, their physical characteristics and phytochemical profiles were assessed. The aqueous extract had a gummy texture, a 7% yield, a black coloration, and a sweet odor. The methanolic extract was viscous, with a 3% yield, a brownish colour, and a similar sweet odor. Phytochemical screening showed flavonoids, tannins, steroids, and saponins in both extracts, with no detectable alkaloids. Cytoplasmic staining produced by the two extracts ranged from pale brownish-blue to deep brownish-blue and deep bluish-purple across all tissues. In conclusion, both beetroot extracts imparted colour to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, with the methanolic extract yielding stronger and crisper cytoplasmic staining. However, neither matched the sharp cytoplasmic contrast provided by eosin in standard H&E staining.