Efficacy of Aloe Vera gel and Egg albumin as slide coating adhesives- A Comparative Pilot study

Introduction 
The problem with the staining process is the tendency for tissue section to detach from glass slides during the heat treatment used in the further processing of the slides. This has been minimised by the use of slide adhesives. The most commonly used slide adhesives for daily use are gelatine and egg albumin. 
Aim 
To compare the efficacy of Aloe Vera gel as slide coating adhesives with egg albumin. 
Methods 
15 formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks of known histopathological diagnosis were sectioned from the archives of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology for the study, with n= 15 for Aloe Vera gel and n= 15 for egg albumin coating.  The Aloe Vera gel was prepared and the slides were coated by the same and the routine staining procedure was done. The slides were viewed under the microscope by two independent blinded observers and grading was done for ease of handling, viscosity, ability to withstand heat and chemicals and adhesion. 
Results 
Our study showed that Aloe Vera gel when used as a slide adhesive was found have more advantage than routine albumin slide coating with a p <0.05 value for ease of handling and absence of background staining. 
Conclusion 
Aloe Vera gel was found to be superior to routinely used egg albumin as a slide coating agent.