In this work, the antimicrobial activity of some complexes of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) with a new Schiff base (1,3-bis[ortho-(2-carboxy-phenyliminomethyl)-phenoxy]propane) tested on five microbial strains, is presented. The antimicrobial activity of the tested compounds was evaluated from a quantitative point of view, as well as the resistance of the microbial biofilms developed on an inert substrate.

Pure and glycine-doped strontium formate dihydrate [Sr(HCOO)₂·2H₂O] single crystals were grown by slow evaporation using glycine concentrations of 0.005 – 0.1 M. The influence of glycine incorporation on structural, vibrational, electronic, and antimicrobial properties was studied experimentally and using DFT (B3LYP/6-311G**). The HOMO – LUMO gap (7.111 eV) indicates stability, while the hyperpolarizability (6973.787 a.u.) suggests potential nonlinear optical behavior. FT-IR and FT-Raman analyses show characteristic modes with slight shifts due to glycine–lattice interactions. Doped crystals exhibit enhanced antimicrobial activity, with a maximum inhibition zone of 36 mm against Escherichia coli at 0.1 M concentration. Results indicate that glycine affects the electronic and biological properties of strontium formate dihydrate, suggesting potential optical and antimicrobial applications.

Many metal complexes with amino acid derived Schiff bases have been synthesized and tested for their biological activity. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of some binuclear complexes with Schiff bases derived from an aromatic dialdehyde and some amino acids by studying the influence of the tested compounds on the development of microbial biofilms on an inert substrate. The biofilms developed on inert substrate by Klebsiella pneumoniae ESBL+, Citrobacter freundii 1748, Bacillus sp., Serratia marcescens 0804, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli 1576 strains were inhibited at concentrations of the tested compounds between 250 μg∙mL-1 and 500 μg∙mL-1. The results of determining the influence of the tested compounds on the development of microbial biofilms showed that they have an inhibitory effect on microbial adhesion.

The binuclear complex compounds of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) with the Schiff bases derived from an aromatic dialdehyde and 2-aminobenzoic acid were tested for their antitumor activity. The results of the biological tests indicated that the complexes of Zn(II) and Cu(II) are the most active cytostatic compounds.