The College of Education for Pure Sciences Discusses a Master’s Thesis on “A Bacteriological Study of Conjunctivitis”
The Department of Biology at the College of Education for Pure Sciences at the University of Kerbala discussed a master’s thesis entitled “A Bacteriological Study of Conjunctivitis”
by student Anwar Joda Bakhit under the supervision of Professor Dr. Hiyam Abdul-Ridha Karim.
The study aimed to investigate conjunctivitis, the microorganisms that infect it, and their potential danger to the individual. Given the lack of local studies on kohl (antimony) and its active ingredients, which are used as cosmetics and eye medications, the study aimed to test the effect of antimony, the active ingredient in kohl, on resistant pathogenic bacteria isolated from conjunctivitis.
The study concluded that the most common bacterial species causing conjunctivitis in patients in Kerbala Governorate were P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. All P. aeruginosa and S. aureus isolates isolated from bacterial conjunctivitis were characterized by their high capacity to produce protease, lecithinase, and hemolysin, and to form biofilms, indicating that they are resistant and possess multiple virulence factors.
The study recommended repurifying the antimony extract multiple times to ensure the removal of residual impurities and achieve a higher degree of purity. It also recommended that the application of the antimony extract be limited to laboratory research studies only, conducting rigorous safety tests, and developing a suitable formulation before any attempt to convert it into pharmaceutical products such as creams, ointments, or drops.
