Two gadolinium polyoxometalates, KCs4[Gd(alpha-SiW11O39)]center dot 25H(2)O(POM-1) and K-13[Gd(beta (2)-SiW11O39)(2)]center dot 27H(2)O(POM-2), have been evaluated as the candidates of potential magnetic resonance imaging T (1)(longitudinal relaxation) contrast agents. Longitudinal relaxivities of POM-2 are much higher than those of POM-1 in pure water and protein solution, respectively. However, compared with POM-1, POM-2 interacts with protein more strongly through electrostatic interaction, which is comfirmed by the fluoresence quenching of human serum albumin(HSA) in solutions with different polyoxometalate concentrations. Meanwhile, POM-1 presentes much lower cytotoxicity in the cell viability tests.