During systematic investigations of bioavailability and biological action enhancement of well known compounds with low bioactivity, a new mixed-ligand metal complex, [Cd(DNBA)2(en)2)] (DNBA = 3,5-dinitrobenzoate, C7H3N2O6; en = ethylendiamine, C2H8N2), has been synthesized. The complex molecules are located on inversion centers. Two DNBA anions monodentately coordinate the CdII atom through an oxygen atom of the carboxylate group while two en molecules coordinate in a chelate fashion, resulting in a distorted O2N4 coordination set. There is a weak intramolecular hydrogen bond of 3.099 (4) Å between the non-coordinating oxygen atom of the carboxylate group and one of the en amine groups. Three relatively weak intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds associate complex molecules into sheets extending parallel to (0\overline{1}1), which are further stabilized by π–π interactions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H...O/O...H (50.2%) and H...H (21.1%) interactions.