Preparation and characteristics of antibacterial sepiolite containing povidone-iodine as a useful pharmaceutical product for patient care

Povidone-iodine (PVP-I), an antibacterial medicine, was infiltrated in sepi olite (SPL). The available iodine content in this new pharmaceutical produc t, a sepiolite preparation containing povidone-iodine (PVP-I-SPL), was reta ined at 98.9 and 98.3% during storage at 40 ?C for 3 and 6 months, respecti vely. The effective removal of various gasses, including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, ethylmercaptan and acetaldehyde, was achieved by use of PVP-1-SPL. Especially, the concentration of ammonia gas was reduced more than half af ter 30 min of exposure, suggesting that PVP-I-SPL has excellent ability to adsorb ammonia gas. The satisfactory antibacterial effect of PVP-1-SPL was also obtained by testing its minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). No i rritation reactions to the rabbit auricle or ophthalmic mucosa or to human skin were observed by the skin irritation test. The PVP-I-SFL preparation has bactericidal activity and gas-adsorbing abili ty; therefore, this pharmaceutical product should be useful for the prevent ion of infections and deodorization in hospital rooms and houses, as well a s in nursing homes for elderly people.