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Keywords

Humectant, Cadaver, Preservation, Skin

Abstract

Humectants are an important class of compounds that attract and retain water within a cell. When mixed with water to create wetting solutions, humectants can prevent desiccation of cadaveric specimens. Recognizing a relative scarcity of comparative studies analyzing the effects of various wetting solutions on post preservation cadaveric maintenance, we utilized wet-dry analysis in order to compare the effects of four common humectants on water retention in human skin tissue. We created a concentration gradient for each humectant to identify the optimal concentrations of each compound for water retention, after which we compared water retention in tissue at the optimal concentrations of each humectant under standardized conditions. Through this simple assay, we show that tissue submerged in glycerol solution retained the most moisture.

Through further experimentation, we plan to carry out similar studies using additional human tissues in order to create a tissue library, which will provide an evidence-based standard for wetting and rehydrating solutions used in anatomy labs.

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2022-3

Language

English

College

Life Sciences

Department

Cell Biology and Physiology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Sophomore

Staying Hydrated: A Comparative Analysis of Humectants in Human Skin

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