No abstract

Five of the 207 isolates from different composts, farm waste compost (FWC), rice straw compost (RSC), Gliricidia vermicompost (GVC), and macrofauna, showed rock phosphate (RP) solubilization in buffered medium in plate culture. When tested in RP broth medium, all five strains, Enterobacter cloacae EB 27, Serratia marcescens EB 67, Serratia sp. EB 75, Pseudomonas sp. CDB 35, and Pseudomonas sp. BWB 21, showed gluconic acid production and solubilized RP. Based on cellulose-degrading and P-solubilizing ability, two strains were selected for further studies. In the presence of different carbon sources, both strains showed a drop in pH and solubilized RP. P released was maximum with glucose (1212 and 522 micromol) and minimum with cellobiose (455 and 306 micromol) by S. marcescens EB 67 and Pseudomonas sp. CDB 35, respectively. Glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) activity was 63 and 77% with galactose and 35 and 46% with cellobiose when compared to glucose (100%) by EB 67 and CDB 35, respectively. Both strains solubilized RP in the presence of different crop residues. EB 67 and CDB 35 showed maximum cellulase activity (0.027 units) in the presence of rice straw and a mixture of rice straw and root. P solubilized from RP in the presence of pigeonpea root was 134 and 140 micromol with EB 67 and CDB 35. Significantly, these bacteria isolated from composts and macrofauna solubilized rock phosphate in the presence of various pure carbon substrates and crop residues and their importance in soil/rhizosphere conditions is discussed.

No abstract

Four Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes, [Ru(bpy)(2)(7-NO(2)-dppz)](2+), [Ru(bpy)(2)(7-CH(3)-dppz)](2+), [Ru(phen)(2)(7-NO(2)-dppz)](2+), and [Ru(phen)(2)(7-CH(3)-dppz)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), (7-Nitro-dppz = 7-Nitro dipyrido[3,2-a:2'-3'-c]phenazine, 7-CH(3)-dppz = 7-Methyl dipyrido[3,2-a:2'-3'-c]phenazine), have been synthesized and characterized by IR, UV, elemental analysis, (1)H NMR, (13)C-NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The DNA-binding properties of the four complexes were investigated by spectroscopic and viscosity measurements. The results suggest that all four complexes bind to DNA via an intercalative mode. Under irradiation at 365 nm, all four complexes were found to promote the photocleavage of plasmid pBR 322 DNA. Toxicological effects of the selected complexes were performed on industrially important yeasts (eukaryotic microorganisms).

No abstract