Iodophor

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An Iodophor is a preparation containing iodine complexed with a solubilizing agent, such as a surfactant or povidone. The result is a water-soluble material that releases free iodine when in solution. Iodophors are prepared by mixing iodine with the solubilizing agent; heat can be used to speed up the reaction.

[edit] Medical Use

Iodophor formulations are designed to make finished topical solutions more gentle to the skin, therefore also called as 'tamed iodine' and increase its shelf-life. Free iodine is a very powerful cheap germicidal agent and will not be ignored. Free iodine kills the eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells by iodination of lipids and oxidation of compounds in cytoplasm and cell membrane. Unlike antibiotics, microbes do not develop any resistant strains against it. It has irritant action on mucous membrane and corrode the instruments. Inorganic iodine has a great disadvantage of not being easily soluble in water, that is why potassium iodide is added in its tincture and solution preparations. Moreover, iodine also kills live cells of mammals. That is why slow release in smaller concentrations are very important. In iodophores free iodine is released slowly from the carrier molecules and acts as a disinfectant. Therefore, effectiveness of any iodophore depends on active or released free iodine percentage. Percentages greater than 3.5% have no additional advantage. Iodophores have less tendency than inorganic iodine to stain fabric and are less irritating to skin. Povidone-iodine (Betadine™) is an iodophore that is most commonly used as antiseptic and scrubbing agent. Povidone-iodine is an iodine complex with polyvinylpyrolidone (a polymer) that remarkably moderates its adverse properties of staining, instability (shelf-life) and tissue irritation, but it also decrease the bactericidal activity of the iodine. Polyvinylpyrolidone (PVPI) also called as povidone makes iodine water soluble and moderates undesirable effects of inorganic iodine. Povidone itself does not have any germicidal action, it just holds and controls release of inorganic iodine that has a potent germicidal action. Though costlier, inorganic iodine in a Povidone-Iodine complex, an iodophore, has almost replaced tincture of iodine and Lugol's iodine in medical and veterinary practice. It is widely used for wound antisepsis, cleaning of dirty wounds, scrubbing of surgeon's hands, patient's operative area. Many commercial preparations in different concentrations are now available and Betadine a PVPI solution of iodine is one of them. It is also availabe in aerosol packings that is easy to use in veterinary practice. Irrespective of all these advantages, iodophores must be used under technical supervision.Cases of toxicity and adverse reaction has been reported.

[edit] Home Use

Diluted iodophor is often used by homebrewers and home wine makers to sanitize equipment and bottles. Its major advantage over other sanitizers is that when used in proper proportions it sublimates directly from solution to gas, and hence leaves no residues. It is also non-toxic to humans and therefore especially suited to food processing applications. It is cheap and effective, but it can leave unattractive orange-brown stains on plastic parts and equipment that it is left in contact with.

It is often supplied in different concentrations and is further diluted with water before use. The label will advise the appropriate dilution rate, commonly 1:1000 or 1:100. Equipment to be sanitized should be thoroughly clean and left in contact with the solution for at least 2 minutes.