Archive / Volume LXXVIII 2025

Oleksandr POZHARYTSKYI, Olena PESAROGLO

Odesa State Agrarian University Kanatna St., 99, 65000 Odesa, Ukraine
e-mail: alexpyros01@gmail.com

DOI:

GERMANIUM(IV) COORDINATION COMPOUNDS WITH BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Water-soluble germanium compounds, including both inorganic and coordination compounds have attracted considerable scientific and pharmaceutical attention in recent decades due to their wide range of biological activities. Among these, organic germanium derivatives have become particularly prominent in the development of novel therapeutic agents. These compounds are currently used in medical practice for their antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, they serve as antioxidants and immunoregulators, contributing to the treatment and prevention of various diseases. There is growing evidence suggesting their influence on vital metabolic processes, including the functioning of the hematopoietic system, the regulation of oxygen-dependent mechanisms, and lipid metabolism, especially under pathological conditions such as diabetes mellitus. In addition, the ability of germanium compounds to act as free radical scavengers underscores their potential role in combating oxidative stress. This review provides a comprehensive overview of studies conducted over the past twenty years, focusing on the medical application of not only water-soluble organic germanium compounds but also inorganic and coordination compounds of germanium. Special attention is given to bioactive coordination germanium (IV) compounds with ligands of organic origin. The review summarizes the findings on various types of these compounds, including monoligand and heteroligand complexes formed with ambidentate nitrogen- and oxygen-containing molecules, as well as heterometallic coordination compounds involving Ge (IV). Their structural features, synthesis methods, and physicochemical properties are discussed in detail. Finally, the review analyzes current trends and future directions in the search for and development of new biologically active substances with a broad spectrum of pharmacological activity, based on coordination compounds of germanium.

Keywords: germanium, coordination compounds, bioligands, biological activity, application of germanium compounds.

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