Hexamidine diisethionate

White or slightly yellow powder, hygroscopic

hexamidine diisethionate is an anti-microbial and preservative targeting fungi and yeast. It may also have some emollient capacities.

Hexamidine is an antiseptic active against Grampositive bacteria and fungi, used as a disinfectant and a preservative in cosmetics. It induces papulo-vesicular and diffuse allergic contact dermatitis.

Acute oral LD(50) values of Hexamidine Diisethionate were 0.71 to 2.5 g/kg in mice and 0.75 g/kg in rats. Dermal exposure to 4 g/kg Hexamidine Diisethionate in rats or up to 9.4 ml/kg of a 0.1% Hexamidine Diisethionate solution under occlusion in rabbits produced no mortality or other signs of toxicity. The no-observed-effect level (NOEL) for oral subchronic toxicity of Hexamidine Diisethionate in rats was 50 mg/kg/day. No signs of toxicity were observed with 2% Hexamidine Diisethionate in subchronic studies using rabbits. Application of 0.1 ml of 0.11% Hexamidine Diisethionate in aqueous solution to the eyes of rabbits produced transient reactions; 0.05% produced no reactions. Slight erythema was observed with 0.10% Hexamidine Diisethionate applied to the abraded skin of 1/11 albino rabbits. A 40% solution of Hexamidine Diisethionate applied to 10% of the body surface of rats produced slight erythema, slight edema, and scabbing in some animals at varying times after treatment. Hexamidine Diisethionate was not a sensitizer in the guinea pig maximization test or in an intracutaneous guinea pig sensitization test. Hexamidine Diisethionate was not a photosensitizer in albino rabbits. Hexamidine Diisethionate was not mutagenic in a bacterial reverse mutagenicity assay or clastogenic in mammalian cells. Hexamidine Diisethionate at 0.10% did not provoke primary irritation, inflammation, or sensitization in a clinical test of 200 human subjects^[1].