ABSTRACT
Povidone-iodine (Polidine®) is a synthetic broad-spectrum antiseptic being applied topically to treat wounds and prevent their infection. It has been however reported with the assertions that it is effective in the treatment of infectious bursa disease (IBD) when administered orally by practicing Veterinarians and other poultry handlers. Acute kidney injury has been reported also with povidone iodine ingestion. Hence, in this study, graded dose administration was conducted to ascertain its safety profile. Forty chicks were obtained from a poultry hatchery in Ibadan, Oyo State. They were randomly divided into four (4) groups of ten chicks each. Group I served as negative control, groups II, III and IV were administered Polidine® at 1 mL/50 L, 1 mL/25 L, and 1 mL/10 L of water respectively for 7 days. Blood samples were collected on Days 3 and 7 post administration for determination of haematological and biochemical parameters. Liver and Kidney tissues were harvested following termination of the experiment and processed for histopathological examination. Results revealed no significant (p > 0.05) effect in the haematological and biochemical parameters of cockerels treated with Povidone iodine at 1 mL/50 and 25 L of water. On histopathological examination no lesion was also observed in the liver and kidney tissues of groups I, II and III (normal control, 1 mL/50 and 25 L respectively) when compared to group IV (1 mL PI /50 L of water) where lesions were recorded. Hence, this study has shown the relative safety of povidone iodine at different doses in cockerels.
ABSTRACT
Povidone-iodine (Polidine) is a synthetic broad-spectrum antiseptic and being applied topically to treat wounds and prevent their infection. It is however used by poultry farmers, field veterinarians, and other animal health workers with the claim that it is effective for treatment of infectious bursal disease when administered orally. Hence, an acute oral toxicity study was conducted to ascertain its safety profile. Ten cockerel chicks were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups of 5 chicks per group. One group served as the negative control, whereas the other group was administered povidone-iodine at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg of BW orally. The blood sample was collected at the end of the study to determine changes in hematological and biochemical parameters. In addition, vital organs were also harvested and preserved for histopathological examinations. The result showed that the median lethal dose (LD50) of the povidone-iodine is higher than 2,000 mg/kg of BW in cockerels. There were no significant changes in the hematological parameters measured. Biochemical evaluation (renal and liver function test) showed an increase in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels after administration of povidone-iodine. The study indicated that the LD50 of povidone-iodine is higher than 2,000 mg/kg of BW of cockerels, and there were increases in urinary and liver enzymes at this dose.
