SIGNIFICANCE OF LUGOL’S IODINE

ABSTRACT

Lugol’s Iodine, also known as Lugol’s Solution, first made in 1829, is a solution of elemental iodine and potassium iodide in water, named after the French physician J.G.A. Lugol. Lugol’s iodine solution is often used as an antiseptic and disinfectant, for emergency disinfection of drinking water, and as a reagent for starch detection in routine laboratory and medical tests. These uses are possible since the solution is a source of effectively free elemental iodine, which is readily generated from the equilibration between elemental iodine molecules and triiodide ion in the solution. Since the 1970s Lugol’s Solution has been available in tablet form, generally buffered. However, compounding chemists (pharmacists) had probably been creating tablets containing Lugol’s Solution since the early 1900s. The tablet form is generally known as Idoral not to be confused with Tri-Iodide tablets that also contain on other form of Iodine.

FULL TEXT