Alkaline-earth metal(II) complexes of salinomycin – spectral properties and antibacterial activity

Abstract

Abstract In the present paper the synthesis and structural characterization of alkaline-earth metal(II) complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycinic acid (SalH.H2O) are discussed. The complexes [M(Sal)2(H2O)2] (M = Mg2+, 1; Ca2+, 2; Sr2+, 3; Ba2+, 4) were obtained reacting salinomycinic acid and Et4NOH with the corresponding metal(II) salts at metal-to-ligand-to-base molar ratio of 1:1:1. The spectral properties of 1–4 were characterized using infrared spectroscopy, fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental analysis data. The crystallinity degree and morphology of complex 2 were studied by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The biometal(II) salinomycinate complexes 1 and 2 possess an enhanced antimicrobial activity compared to the parent antibiotic against Gram-positive bacteria. The comparison between the effectiveness of the complexes, reported here, and the already known isostructural coordination species of salinomycin and monensin (MonH.H2O), revealed that magnesium(II) and calcium(II) monensinates appear to be promising antibacterial agents against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus.