Desferrioxamine-cadmium as a 'Trojan horse' for the delivery of Cd to bacteria and fungi.

Molecules naturally designed for the acquisition of essential metals can be used as a shuttle to deliver toxic metal ions to target organisms. In this study, we describe for the first time the synthesis of a derivative of cadmium and desferrioxamine B, a bacterial siderophore. The new compound was characterized by elemental analysis, vibrational (infrared and Raman) spectroscopy, mass coupled thermal analyses and X-ray diffraction methods. Studies on the in vitro toxicity toward a fungus and two bacterial strains indicated that the coordination compound is more active against microrganisms than cadmium chloride on a Cd-concentration basis, indicating that desferrioxamine can work as a "Trojan horse" in the delivery of a toxic metal.