The rapid corrosion of magnesium alloys in physiological environment constraints its applications to employ it as a biodegradable implant material. AZ31 and ZK60 alloys were executed to anodization in alkaline solution as a function of time and investigated their electrochemical and mechanical properties. The scanning electron microscopy reveals the compact passive film formation subsequently to anodization. The high-resolution spectra of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the existence of MgO, Mg(OH)(2) and traces of CO3-2 within the anodized layer. The quasi-static with displacement-controlled mode of indentation was performed to investigate the mechanical properties of the anodized films. Anodized ZK60 has an average hardness of similar to 0.49 GPa, greater than the hardness of anodized AZ31-Ano (0.35 GPa). Similarly, the stiffness and film elastic modulus for anodized ZK60 were higher when compared with anodized AZ31. The surface roughness of anodized ZK60 (473.54 +/- 51.61 nm) was higher than that of anodized AZ31 (112.11 +/- 11.31 nm). The potentiodynamic polarization scans for AZ31 showed corrosion current density of 4.46 mu A/cm(2) (untreated) and 394.8 e(-3) mu A/cm(2) (anodized), while in ZK60 corrosion current densities values shifted from 12.05 mu A/cm(2) (un-treated) to 714.8 e(-3) mu A/cm(2) (anodized). Similarly, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated enhanced charge transfer resistance for anodized AZ31 (1.164 K Omega-cm(2)) and ZK60 (1.911 K Omega-cm(2)) when compared with untreated AZ31 (28.3 K Omega-cm(2)) and ZK60 (0.481 K Omega-cm(2)). Furthermore, MC3T3 preosteoblast cells on the anodized surfaces caused no adverse effects in regards to biocompatibility.