Comparison of fractionated coconut oil and cedarwood oil as agent for oil immersion microscopy / Jules Victor A. Bacting, Tricia Mae V. Atencio, Althea Mariz A. Averion, Robert PauloS. Bartolome, Angelo Joshua C. Cataluña, Katrina Sofia F. Gualvez, Junnet G. Mangulabnan, Sophia G. Perdido, Czai Jennah O. Resquir, Jan Romuel R. Salagubang, Kirstein Jathniel M. Terrado, Mel Rastin M. Victoriano and Patricia S. Zoleta.

Includes appendices and bibliographical references.

Abstract: Employing immersion oil as part of the microscope lens system produced a brighter and sharper image than the one without oil immersion. The study compared the performance of Fractionated Coconut oil (FCO) and Cedarwood oil (CWO) in terms of their capability to obtain a sharp and contrasting slide image utilizing an experimental approach. A single-blinded test was done. Sample slides covered with either Fractionated Coconut oil or Cedarwood oil were evaluated by three (registered Medical technologist and (2) two Pathologist blinded to the oil used, the slides evaluated were peripheral blood smears and stained bacteria. Data gathered from the evaluation forms were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test for the comparison of the two (2) oils. As to visibility, Fractionated Coconut Oil offered a better visualization on stained specimens than Cedarwood Oil with their mean scores of 46.74 for FCO and 44.26 for CWO. This data lacks statistical significance, despite the fact that fractionated coconut oil improved visualization on stained specimens. As regards to the color-changing properties or chromaticity, there was a significant difference between the two oils since Cedarwood oil appeared to have a more yellowish tint compared to the Fractionated Coconut oil (p-value of 0.031). Lastly, regarding the ease of cleaning, the Cedarwood oil was slightly easier to clean than Fractionated Coconut oil (FCO mean rank: 44.30, Cedarwood oil: 46.70); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p-value of 0.622). In inclusion, in terms of feasibility, the study proved that the fractionated coconut oil had the capability to be used as a medium in oil immersion microscopy, especially in resource-stricken areas where Cedarwood oil may not be available. For future studies, it is recommended to use other samples like tissues slides since it also uses oil immersion.

Thesis - School of Medical Technology