Naturally occurring hydroxamic acids act variously as growth factors, antibiotics, tumour inhibitors, cell division factors or lipoxygenase inhibitors, and play a major role as iron transfer agents.1 Most of these biological activities are due to their complexing properties towards transition metal ions, particu- larly with iron(III). Desferrioxamine, a natural trihydroxamic acid, is used therapeutically for the treatment of iron-over- loaded patients,2 particularly in patients with AIDS, but the ...
