Beta lactam derivatives exhibit a range of bioactivities, including anti-angiogenic, anti-tumour, anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-tubercular, anti-glaucoma, anti-HIV, cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties. The synthesis of metal complexes of lactam derivatives had received much attention due to the fact that they are among the first effective chemotherapeutic agents to be employed for the prevention and cure of bacterial infection in humans. The pharmacological activity of these types of molecules is often enhanced by complexation with metal ions.Certain theories had been advanced advocating that a major portion of drug action occurred through complexation. The importance of metal ions in biological systems is well known. One of the most interesting features of metal coordinated systems is the concerted spatial arrangement of the ligands around the metal atom. Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге Synthesis & Biological Evaluation of Metal Complexes With Beta-Lactam (Sumaira Saleem,Islam Ullah Khan and Shahzad Sharif)