[Mutagenic activity of copper phenoxyacetate complexes].

The mutagenic activity of phenoxyacetatocopper (II) complexes of the composition Cu(R-COO)2Ln-R = phenoxymethyl, L represents H2O (n = 3), phenazone (1), 4-nitropyridine N-oxide (1)--as well free phenoxyacetic acid and uncoordinated 4-nitropyridine N-oxide was tested against strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA 100, TA 97 and TA 102) with or without metabolic activation. Using Ames methods in vitro, of the above-mentioned compounds only the 4-nitropyridine N-oxide complex in a concentration of 75 micrograms/dish, with 27.7% content of this neutral ligand) and this molecule ligand alone (in a concentration of 12.5 micrograms/dish) exhibited genotoxic effects. The relationship between the coordination-chemical properties and the biological effects of the compounds tested is discussed.