Streptomyces sanglieri which colonised and enhanced the growth of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. seedlings was antagonistic to Ganoderma boninense in in vitro studies.

Actinomycete strain AUM 00500 was 99.5 % similar to Streptomyces sanglieri NBRC 100784(T) and was evaluated for antagonistic activity towards Ganoderma boninense, the causative fungus of basal stem rot of oil palm. The strain showed strong antifungal activity towards G. boninense in in vitro and SEM analysis showed various modes of inhibition of the fungus. Ethyl acetate extracts of single culture and inhibition zone of cross-plug culture by HPLC indicated that strain AUM 00500 produced two different antibiotics of the glutarimide group namely cycloheximide and actiphenol. In greenhouse trials, oil palm seed treated with spores of S. sanglieri strain AUM 00500 at 10(9) cfu/ml showed significant (P < 0.05) increase in oil palm seedlings growth when compared to the control. Streptomyces sanglieri strain AUM 00500 successfully colonised the epidermal surface of the roots of treated oil palm seedlings and it was recovered from root fragments plated on starch casein agar.

N-benzoylated 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane and their copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes: spectral, magnetic, electrochemical, crystal structure, catalytic and antimicrobial studies.

A series of N-benzoylated cyclam ligands incorporating three different benzoyl groups 1,4,8,11-tetra-(benzoyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (L(1)), 1,4,8,11-tetra-(2-nitrobenzoyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (L(2)) and 1,4,8,11-tetra-(4-nitrobenzoyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (L(3)) and their nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes are described. Crystal structure of L(1) is also reported. The ligands and complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, electronic, IR, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectral studies. N-benzoylation causes red shift in the lambda(max) values of the complexes. The cyclic voltammogram of the complexes of ligand L(1) show one-electron, quasi-reversible reduction wave in the region -1.00 to -1.04 V, whereas that of L(2) and L(3) show two quasi-reversible reduction peaks. Nickel complexes show one-electron quasi-reversible oxidation wave at a positive potential in the range +1.05 to +1.15 V. The ESR spectra of the mononuclear copper(II) complexes show four lines, characteristic of square-planar geometry with nuclear hyperfine spin 3/2. All copper(II) complexes show a normal room temperature magnetic moment values mu(eff) 1.70-1.73 BM which is close to the spin-only value of 1.73 BM. Kinetic studies on the oxidation of pyrocatechol to o-quinone using the copper(II) complexes as catalysts and hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenylphosphate using the copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes as catalysts were carried out. All the ligands and their complexes were also screened for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and human pathogenic fungi.

Electrochemical, catalytic and antimicrobial activities of N-functionalized cyclam based unsymmetrical dicompartmental binuclear nickel(II) complexes.

Five binuclear nickel(II) complexes have been prepared by simple Schiff base condensation of the compound 1,8-[bis(3-formyl-2-hydroxy-5-bromo)benzyl]-l,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (L) with appropriate aliphatic or aromatic diamine, nickel(II) perchlorate and triethylamine. All the complexes were characterized by elemental and spectral analysis. Positive ion FAB mass spectra show the presence of dinickel core in the complexes. The electronic spectra of the complexes show red shift in the d-d transition. Electrochemical studies of the complexes show two irreversible one electron reduction processes in the range of 0 to -1.4V. The reduction potential of the complexes shifts towards anodically upon increasing chain length of the macrocyclic ring. All the nickel(II) complexes show two irreversible one electron oxidation waves in the range 0.4-1.6V. The observed rate constant values for catalysis of the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate are in the range of 1.36x10(-2)-9.14x10(-2)min(-1). The rate constant values for the complexes containing aliphatic diimines are found to be higher than the complexes containing aromatic diimines. Spectral, electrochemical and catalytic studies of the complexes were compared on the basis of increasing chain length of the imine compartment. All the complexes show higher antimicrobial activity than the ligand and metal salt.