An efficient and simple method for selective oxidation of secondary alcohols and oxidation of alkanes to ketones is reported. An in situ prepared catalyst is employed based on manganese(II) salts, pyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid, and butanedione, which provides good‐to‐excellent conversions and yields with high turnover numbers (up to 10 000) with H2O2 as oxidant at ambient temperatures. In substrates bearing multiple alcohol groups, secondary alcohols are converted to ketones selectively and, in general, benzyl CH oxidation proceeds in preference to aliphatic CH oxidation.

Endophytic actinomycetes are one of the primary groups that share symbiotic relationships with medicinal plants and are key reservoir of biologically active compounds. In this study, six selective medicinal plants were targeted for the first time for endophytic actinomycetes isolation from Gibbon Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam, India, during winter and summer and 76 isolates were obtained. The isolates were found to be prevalent in roots followed by stem and leaves. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed 16 genera, including rare genera, Verrucosispora, Isoptericola and Kytococcus, which have never been previously reported as endophytic. The genus Streptomyces (66%) was dominant in both seasons. Shannon's diversity index showed that Azadirachta indica (1.49), Rauwolfia serpentina (1.43) and Emblica officinalis (1.24) were relatively good habitat for endophytic actinomycetes. Antimicrobial strains showed prevalence of polyketide synthase (PKS) type-II (85%) followed by PKS type-I (14%) encoded in the genomes. Expression studies showed 12-fold upregulation of PKSII gene in seventh day of incubation for Streptomyces antibioticus (EAAG90). Our results emphasize that the actinomycetes assemblages within plant tissue exhibited biosynthetic systems encoding for important biologically active compounds.

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Rise in human population always demands a rapid and sustainable increase in cereal production. As a result nitrogenous fertilizers were used constantly in excess, which resulted in a number of problems such as green house emissions (particularly N 2 O) and leaching to groundwater. Moreover they are expensive. So long term sustainability in agriculture can only be obtained with the use of low cost fertilizer which should also be ecologically safe. In this regard biological nitrogen fixation by microbes, that is, biofertilizer, plays an active role helping in better maintenance of crop nutrient as well as soil health. Azospirillum, an associative symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacterium has a higher nitrogen fixing potential in non-legumes in comparison to other nitrogen fixing bacterium, by the formation of para nodules. However further investigation is needed to find possible avenues for the exploitation of this bacterium. The current review emphasizes the central issues of Azospirillum and its application either alone or in combination with other plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for the benefit of the non leguminous crops.