What question did this study set out to answer?

To compare the staining efficacy and diagnostic utility of Kumkum and eosin in histopathological sections of oral lesions.

March 21, 2026Open Access

Comparative Evaluation of Kumkum Versus Eosin as a Counterstain in Histopathological Sections of Oral Lesions

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Key Points

To compare the staining efficacy and diagnostic utility of Kumkum and eosin in histopathological sections of oral lesions.
Used 50 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections from oral lesions.
Sections stained with hematoxylin followed by either eosin or Kumkum extract.
Evaluated by three pathologists for contrast, stability, staining intensity, and agreement using kappa statistics.
Kumkum had comparable nuclear-cytoplasmic contrast with eosin (mean score 3.8 vs. 3.9; p=0.42).
Color stability was similar (<5% fading at 48 hours), indicating reliability.
High interobserver agreement (kappa=0.87 for Kumkum vs. 0.89 for eosin).
Kumkum was noted to be cost-effective and non-toxic.

Abstract

Background: Counterstains like eosin are essential in hematoxylin and eosin (H p=0.42) with vibrant red-orange hues and superior cytoplasmic eosinophilia in keratinized areas. Color stability was equivalent (fading <5% at 48 hours), and interobserver agreement was high (kappa=0.87 for Kumkum vs. 0.89 for eosin). Kumkum was cost-effective) and non-toxic. Conclusion: Kumkum serves as an effective, economical, natural counterstain alternative to eosin in oral histopathology, with no compromise in diagnostic quality. It holds promise for resource-limited settings.

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Harish Srinivasan1*, Barath Nithish Kumar2, Priyanka Saravanan3, Yogeshwaran S.4, Dhanush S.5, Arnold Allan A.6, Senthilkumar Krishnan7, Gnansekaran8, Rajalingam D.9, Kannabirran Vaikundam10 (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69be37726e48c4981c6772ab — DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19081851

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Authors

Harish Srinivasan1*, Barath Nithish Kumar2, Priyanka Saravanan3, Yogeshwaran S.4, Dhanush S.5, Arnold Allan A.6, Senthilkumar Krishnan7, Gnansekaran8, Rajalingam D.9, Kannabirran Vaikundam10

Comparative Evaluation of Kumkum Versus Eosin as a Counterstain in Histopathological Sections of Oral Lesions

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