Investigating the effect of eye drops based on iodine nanoparticles in the treatment of corneal ulcers in rabbit eyes.

Background: Various organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause corneal ulcers. One of the leading causes of vision loss and disability worldwide is corneal ulceration. Practical, accessible, and affordable treatment for this disease seems essential.

Materials and methods: Fifteen New Zealand rabbits infected with Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) corneal ulcers were randomly divided into three groups of five for the present study. (I, II, and III). Group I was used as the control group (without treatment). The second group received an iodine solution (1.25%) without a nanoparticle structure (betadine). The third group received an iodine solution with a nanoparticle structure used as eye drops. Drops in the corneal ulcer group were used five times daily for 14 days. Microbial counts and disease severity scores were measured on the first, second, fifth, and fourteenth days and compared between groups separately for each disease.

Results: The results showed that the changes in microbial load were significant in the group that received betadine and nanoparticles. The microbial load was further reduced when using iodine nanoparticles than betadine. The betadine and nano-iodine groups significantly reduced the severity of the disease in rabbits with corneal ulcers (p < 0.05). The average changes in disease severity score were 4.8 ± 1.3, -2.6 ± 0.89, and -2.22 ± 1.22 in the untreated, nano iodine, and betadine groups, respectively. However, a significant increase in disease severity was observed in the untreated group (p = 0.001). It shows a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the nano iodine, betadine, and untreated groups. However, the difference in disease severity changes between nano iodine and non-nano iodine groups was insignificant.

Conclusion: Nanoparticle iodine is more effective than non-nanoparticle iodine in reducing bacterial load. In reducing the severity of the disease, both types of iodine were superior to no treatment. But there was no apparent difference between the two groups treated with iodine.