In vitro activity of the novel Fe-cyclam complex against clinical multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates from Brazil

Aim: To evaluate the effect of a new Fe-cyclam complex on pathogenic bacterial species, including multidrug-resistant clinical specimens. Materials & methods: The complex [Fe(cyclam)ox]PF₆ (D2) was tested in cytotoxicity and MIC tests. Clinical and reference strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were used. Considering Staphylococcus aureus strains, the profile of antimicrobial susceptibility and time–kill kinetics for D2 was performed. An in silico analysis for D2 was also performed. Results: D2 showed broad bacterial activity, mainly against specimens of Cutibacterium acnes, S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Low cytotoxicity in human cells was demonstrated. Conclusion: The tested compound proved to be a promising agent against resistant bacterial infections.