New isatinic hydrazone Schiff-base ligands, namely furan-2-carboxylic acid (2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-indol- 3-ylidene)-hydrazide (L1), thiophene-2-carboxylic acid (2- oxo-1,2-dihydro-indol-3-ylidene)-hydrazide (L2) and 2-(pyridine-2-yl-hydrazono)-1,2-dihydro-indol-3-one) (L3) are reported. The ligands were prepared by the condensation of furan-2-carboxylic acid hydrazide (L1), thiophene- 2-carboxylic acid hydrazide (L2), and 2-hydrazino pyridine (L3) with isatine. Monomeric complexes were prepared from the reaction of the corresponding metal chloride with the ligands. The ligands and their nine new complexes of the general formulae [M(Ln)2]Cl2 [where M = Co(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II); n = L1, L2 and L3] were characterised by spectroscopic methods (FTIR, UV–Vis, 1H, 13C NMR), elemental analysis, metal content, magnetic measurement and molar conductance. These studies revealed the formation of six coordinate complexes, in which the geometry about metal atom is a distorted octahedral. Biological activity of the ligands and their metal complexes against Gram-positive bacterial strain Bacillus (G?) and Gramnegative bacteria Ecoli (G-) are evaluated. The effects of prepared compounds depend on the type of tested bacteria. It is clear that the ligands and their metal complexes have a potential effect on the Gram-positive (G?) and Gramnegative (G-) strains of the tested bacteria.