EFFECT OF DESFERAL (DESFERRIOXAMINE) ON THE GROWTH OF STREPTOCOCCUS MILLERI AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

The effect of desfera.l (desferrioxamine), iron chelator, on the growth kinetics of Streptococcus milleri and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. A bactericidal effect was observed at concentrations up to 20 mM with Staph. aureus whereas the strains of S. milleri were unaffected by 20 mM of desferal showing that S. milleri was insensitive to a high molar excess of desferal to iron indicating either an extraordinarily efficient Fe acquisition system or a low requirement for iron as compared to Staph. aureus.