Mononuclear and dinuclear peroxotungsten complexes with co-ordinated dipeptides as potent inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase activity

New molecular peroxotungstate(VI) complexes with dipeptides as ancillary ligands of the type, WO(O₂)₂(dipeptide)(H₂O)].3H₂O, dipeptide = glycyl-glycine or glycyl-leucine, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, spectral and physico-chemical methods including thermal analysis. The complexes contain side-on bound peroxo groups and a peptide zwitterion bonded to the metal centre unidentately through an O(carboxylate) atom. Investigations on certain biologically important key properties of these compounds and a set of dimeric compounds in analogous co-ligand environment, Na₂W₂O₃(O₂)₄(dipeptide)₂].3H₂O, dipeptide = glycyl-glycine and glycyl-leucine, reported previously by us revealed interesting features of the compounds. Each of the compounds despite having a 7 co-ordinated metal centre exerts a strong inhibitory effect on alkaline phosphatase activity with a potency higher than that of the free dipeptide, tungstate or peroxotungstate. The compounds exhibit remarkable stability in solutions of acidic as well as physiological pH and are weaker as substrate to the enzyme catalase, compared to H₂O₂. The mononuclear and dinuclear peroxotungsten compounds are efficient oxidants of reduced glutathione (GSH), a reaction in which only one of the peroxo groups of a diperoxotungsten moiety of the complexes was found to be active.