Cyclic voltammetric measurements were performed for Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of 1 : 1 alternating copolymer, poly(3-nitrobenzylidene-1-naphthylamine-co-succinic anhydride) (L) and Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes of 1 : 1 alternating copolymer, poly(3-nitrobenzylidene-1-naphthylamine-co-methacrylic acid) ($L^1$). The in vitro biological screening effects of the investigated compounds were tested against the fungal species including Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizoctonia bataicola and Candida albicans and bacterial species including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumaniae, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by well diffusion method. A comparative study of inhibition values of the copolymers and their complexes indicates that the complexes exhibit higher antimicrobial activity. Copper ions are proven to be essential for the growth-inhibitor effect. The extent of inhibition appeared to be strongly dependent on the initial cell density and on the growth medium. The nuclease activity of the above metal complexes were assessed by gel electrophoresis assay and the results show that the copper complexes can cleave pUC18 DNA effectively in presence of hydrogen peroxide compared to other metal complexes. The degradation experiments using Rhodamine B dye indicate that the hydroxyl radical species are involved in the DNA cleavage reactions.