Transition Metal-α-Amino Acid Complexes with Antibiotic Activity against Mycobacterium spp.

Synthetic iridium-, rhodium-, and ruthenium-amino acid complexes with hydrophobic L-amino acids have antibiotic activity against Mycobacterium spp., including Mycobacterium bovis BCG and the rapidly growing species Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium chelonae. Concentrations of transition metal-amino acid complexes demonstrating hemolysis or cytotoxicity were 10- to 25-fold higher than were the MICs.