Can povidone-iodine kill fungi?

Generally, povidone-iodine can kill fungi. If necessary for use, it should be applied according to medical advice. The specific analysis is as follows:

The iodine in povidone-iodine has strong oxidizing properties. When povidone-iodine comes into contact with fungi, the iodine can penetrate through the fungal cell wall and cell membrane into the interior of the cell. It then undergoes oxidation reactions with intracellular biomacromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids, causing denaturation of the fungal proteins and disrupting their original spatial structure and function. This prevents the proteins from performing their normal physiological functions, thereby affecting the metabolism, growth, and reproduction of the fungi. At the same time, iodine also damages the nucleic acids of fungi, making it difficult for them to undergo normal division and proliferation, thus fundamentally inhibiting fungal growth and spread.

Fungal cells contain various enzymes and proteins with sulfhydryl groups. The iodine in povidone-iodine can react with these sulfhydryl groups within the fungal cells, forming stable iodides, thereby deactivating these sulfhydryl-containing enzymes and proteins, ultimately leading to fungal death.

When applying povidone-iodine, ensure the area to be disinfected is clean and dry. First, remove any dirt, impurities, or debris from the local skin or surface of the object, then wipe with povidone-iodine to ensure adequate contact between the iodine and the fungi, allowing the disinfecting action to take full effect.