An in vitro Evaluation of Periodontal Ligament Cell Viability in Honey as a Transport Medium for an Avulsed Tooth.

Abstract

Background: Dental avulsion is the most severe form of injury to a tooth, and its prognosis is majorly affected by the type of the storage medium prior to re-implantation. Honey is a readily available household substance with anti-inflammatory properties. However, there is paucity of data regarding its use as a transport medium for avulsed teeth. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the viability of periodontal Ligament (PDL) cells stored in honey and other recommended transport media.

Materials and methods: An in vitro study involving the culture of PDL cells, harvested from premolars freshly extracted for orthodontic reasons. The cells were exposed to Dulbecco's Minimum Essential Medium (DMEM), honey, and Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) at room temperature, and their viability was tested with the tetrazolium salt-based colorimetric (MTT) assay after 30 min, 2 h, and 24 h. The Optical Density (OD) of the cells were assessed with a spectrophotometer. The Mean Optical Density (MOD) of the cells stored in DMEM was compared with those of cells in other media at each interval with the independent t-test at P < 0.05.

Results: The MOD of cells stored in DMEM, honey, and HBSS over the 24-h period ranged between 0.32 ± 0.04 -0.31 ± 0.05; 0.30 ± 0.07-0.28 ± 0.07, and 0.23 ± 0.0-0.21 ± 0.01, respectively. The mean difference between the OD of cells stored in honey and those in DMEM at the end of the study period was 0.03 (t = 1.37; P = 0.18).

Conclusion: There was no difference in the viability of PDL cells stored in honey and DMEM over the study period.