The mixed ligand Cu(II) complexes of ciprofloxacin and N, O donor Schiff bases have been prepared and characterized by physicochemical techniques. In these complexes, ciprofloxacin acts as bidentate deprotonated ligand bound to the metal through the pyridone oxygen and one carboxylate oxygen. The antimicrobial activity of the complexes has been tested on three Gram(− ve) and two Gram(+ ve) microorganisms in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and colony forming unit (CFU). The interaction study of the complexes with Herring Sperm DNA (HS-DNA) has been performed by absorption titration and viscosity measurement. The DNA cleavage activity has been carried out by gel electrophoresis experiment using supercoiled form of pUC19 DNA. Potential cytotoxic effect of complexes has been investigated by brine shrimp lethality assay method. The complexes have been also screened for their enzymatic behaviour in terms of IC50 value
