The Schiff bases namely MIMFMA, MIMTMA and MIPMA have been prepared by reacting 3-amino-5-methyl isoxazole with 5-methyl furan-2-carboxyaldehyde, 5-methyl thiphene-2-carboxaldehyde and pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde. The Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and VO(IV) have been prepared by reacting metal chlorides with those Schiff bases in an alchololic medium. The complexes are electrolytes in DMSO. These have been characterized by using elemental analysis, IR, UV-VIS, 1 H, 13 C, mass spectra, magnetic susceptibility, conductance measurements and thermo gravimetric studies. The complexes were found to have composition ML2. On basis of elemental and spectral studies, six coordinated geometry is assigned for these complexes. The Schiff bases act as neutral and bidentate and coordinate through the azomethine nitrogen and furfural oxygen, thiophene sulphur and pyridine nitrogen, respectively. The synthesized ligands and their metal complexes were screened against bacteria and fungi. The activity data show that the metal complexes are more potent than the parent Schiff bases.