Eight new triphenylgermanium heterocyclic carboxylates Ph~3GeO~2CR were synthesized by the reaction of triphenylgermanium chloride with sodium heterocyclic carboxylate, (Ph~3GeCl＋RCO~2Na→Ph~3GeO~2CR). Their structures were established by elementary analysis, IR, ^1H NMR and MS spectroscopy. The IR spectra showed that in complexes 1～8 the carboxyl groups were bidentate ligands. The complexes 1,3,6 and 7 give a very strong peak Ph~3Ge^+ at m/z=305 as base peak in mass spectra. The complexes (1～8) were tested in vitro against two human tumour cell lines, MCF-7, a mammary tumour, and WiDr, a colon carcinoma. They all display high activity in vitro, much better than cis-platin or triphenylgermanium chloride.

Key words: ORGANO GERMANIUM, HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS, CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTER, BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY, FURAN P, THIOPHENE P, PYRIDINE P, INDOLE P, ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS, INFRARED SPECTROPHOTOMETRY, PROTON MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROMETRY, ANTICARCINOGEN