About Povidone Iodine Iodine preparation, External broad microbicidal spectrum antiseptic. Mechanism of Action of Povidone Iodine Povidone iodine is an iodophore antiseptic and is a microbicidal drug. It releases iodine from its complex and produces pharmacological actions. The released iodine produces antiseptic actions. Iodine is highly reactive with surrounding and has strong oxidizing effect on functional groups of amino acids (-NH 2, -SH etc.), Nucleotides, and fatty acids (double bond of unsaturated fatty acids). Interaction of Iodine with these groups in a cell results in disintegration of the cytoplasm, enzyme denaturation, loss of integrity in the bacterial cell membrane and fungal cell wall .These will leads to destruction of microbial protein and DNA and finally kills the microbes.