Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and biological assays of a new silver(I) complex with L-tryptophan (TRP) are presented. Elemental and thermal analyses and ESI-QTOF mass spectrometric measurements of the solid compound suggest the composition AgC11H11N2O2. Infrared and solid-state NMR analyses indicate coordination of TRP to Ag(I) ion through the nitrogen of the NH2 group and also through the oxygen of carboxylate group. Theoretical (DFT) calculations permit proposing an optimized geometry for the complex. Antibacterial assays indicated that the Ag-TRP complex is effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis (Gram-positive), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacterial strains. The complex was also cytotoxic against Panc-1 (human pancreatic carcinoma) and SK-Mel 103 (human melanoma) cells. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.1031125131Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [2006/55367-2, 2012/08230-2, 2008/57805-2]CNPq [573672/2008-3, 472468/2010-3, 472067/2010-9]