Nocardamine (CAS: 26605-16-3)

Nocardamine, also known as desferrioxamine E, is a cyclic trihydroxamate siderophore produced by Streptomyces species that binds ferric iron (Fe3+) with extremely high affinity. By forming a stable hexadentate Fe3+ complex, it mediates iron uptake in bacteria via specific outer membrane transporters such as FoxA and can also deprive pathogens of iron under limiting conditions. Nocardamine exhibits antimalarial activity through iron chelation-mediated growth inhibition and has been used as a probe to study siderophore-dependent transport systems. Its strong and selective Fe3+ binding makes it a valuable research tool for dissecting iron acquisition, microbial competition, and iron-dependent metabolic pathways.