A systematic investigation into the impact of the substituents introduced into the indolo[2,3-b]quinoline system is described. The findings clearly demonstrate that the compounds bearing a methyl group or a longer aliphatic chain at the N-6 position are inactive against prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The introduction of alkyl-amino-alkyl substituent at the N-6 position of indolo[2,3-b]quinoline accounts for the appearance of the antimicrobial and.cytotoxic properties. The cytotoxicity against oral epidermoid carcinoma KB (ID50) is in the range from 2.0 to 9.0 microM, and the antimicrobial activity (MIC) falls between 0.03 and 0.50 mM. The structural relation within 6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinolines, concerning their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity, corresponds well with their ability to bind DNA and to inhibit topoisomerase II activity.