ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This piece of research, as a part of my doctoral degree is a dream fulfillment. I
could never have imagined a journey so fulfilling without the aid, encouragement and
support from a great number of people in assorted ways. The following lines are my
humble acknowledgements to those beautiful minds.
With immense pleasure and respect foremost, I owe my eternal gratitude to my
mentors, Dr.Shalini Rajkumar, Associate Professor, Institute of Science, Nirma
University, Ahmedabad and Dr.H.C Bajaj, Dy. Director, Chief Scientist, Discipline of
Inorganic Materials and Catalysis, CSMCRI-CSIR, Bhavnagar for reliable guidance,
offer platform and perpetual support. I am also extremely grateful to both for his/her
motivation, precious suggestions, scholarly advices that added considerably to my Ph.D
experience and I could not have imagined having better advisors for my Ph.D.
Together, they managed to teach me how to work independently and gave me freedom
and their useful advices. The outcome of this thesis is a small tribute from a student.
I am thankful to Dr.Sarat Dalai, Director, Institute of Science, Nirma
University, Ahmedabad and Dr.P.K. Ghosh, Director, CSMCRI, for giving me an
opportunity to work in CSMCRI, Bhavnagar and Institute of Science, Nirma University,
Ahmedabad with providing the facilities for the successful completion of this research
work.
I am greatly indebted to my collaborators Prof. C.B. Tripathi and Dr. Tajesh
Patel, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Bhavnagar and Dr.
Tapan A. Patel and Dr. D.D. Jhala, Department of Zoology, University School of
Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, for providing me research animal facility.
Prof. P. K. Gadhia and Dr.R. P Thumbar, Department of Biosciences, Veer Narmad
South Gujarat University, Surat, Gujarat, for DNA damage studies. I am also thankful
to Dr. S. Shankaran Chettiar and Dr.J. Dattani, Department of Biotechnology, Shree
Ramkrishna Institute of Computer Education and Applied Sciences, Veer Narmad South
Gujarat University, Surat, for cell line experimental study. Dr. Y.K. Baravalia and Prof.
N.R. Sheth, Department of Biochemistry, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, for
pharmacokinetic in animal works.
I express my profound gratefulness to my lab scientists, Dr. H. M. Mody, Dr. J.
G. Bhatt, Dr. S. Kanan, Dr. A. B. Boricha, Dr. A. B. Panda, and Dr. R. S. Somani,
CSMCRI for their inspiration, fruitful discussion, valuable suggestions and constant
encouragement throughout the period of my work.
I am also grateful to, Dr. R.S. Shukla, Dr. S.D. Bhatt, Dr. S.H.R. Abdi, Dr. R.J.
Tayade, Dr. (Mrs.) Beena Tyagi, Dr. (Mrs.) R.I. Kureshy, and Dr. N.H. Khan CSMCRI-
CSIR, Bhavnagar, for their continuous support throughout.
I would like to show my gratitude to my senior Dr. H. A Patel and Dr. G.V
Joshi, CSMCRI, Bhavnagar for his continuous encouragement, stimulating suggestions
and support throughout my research life in CSMCRI. I am also thankful to my co-
workers Radheshyam and G.P Dagi, CSMCRI and Rahul, Maharshi, Mahedra, Prasant,
Disha, Kamini, Farhat and Harshita, Nirma University for their help and cooperation.
But most of all, exceptional thanks from heart to my lab buddies, Praful, Adarsh,
Kalpesh, Apurba, Narottam, Sandip, Naveen, Provas, Giri, Vyas and Kanchan for their
unconditional help and motivation during this period and completing this thesis.
I am appreciatively be grateful to Mr. P.G.M. Pillai, Mr. J.M. Parmar, Mr. B.B.
Parmar and Mr. A.H. Lakhani, CSMCRI and Mr. Hasit and Mr. Sachin, Nirma
University for their help in procuring chemicals, drafting of all the necessary
documents, letters in official works and all other necessary items required for successful
completion of my work.
My extreme thankfulness to my friends, well wishers and colleagues Dr.
Krishnamohan, Gopalakrishnan, Dr. Sumitra, Mallikarjun, Dr. Sumeet, Dr Pravin, Dr.
Munir, Dr. Govind, Dr. K. Kannan, Dr. Vishal, and Dr. Manu for their help and support.
I am indebted to my colleagues Sumit Jadhav, Sandesh, Pravin Ingole, Jinesh,
Munusamy, Basha, Aasif, Murugan, Kunal, Saravanan, K. Saravanan, Thillai, Kali,
Phani, Dinesh, Nirali, Arpan, Manish, Nabin, Arghya, Anjan, Prashanta, Tamal,
Naveen, Vyas, Amit, Jaydeep, Arka and Kanjan of DIMC family for all their
unconditional help offered during my research. I render my thanks to all the research
scholars of CSMCRI for their prompt help and support.
My sincere thanks to best my friends, Dr.H. Brahmbhatt, and Jayesh for making
my stay in CSMCRI a memorable one.
I am also grateful to Mr.Arvind and other library staffs for their timely
cooperation and support, Mr. Pardeep, Mr. Pramod, Mr. Vasudev, Mr. Ketan, Mr.
Deepak and Ms. Avani for their constant IT support.
It is my honor to owe my deepest gratitude to my teachers and mates during
schooling, B.Sc, M.Sc, and Post.M.Sc for their encouragements that mold my character.
I am very much thankful to Dr.Prabhudas Patel, Head, Department of
biochemistry, Gujarat Cancer Research Institute and Prof. Ghate, Director, Institute of
Pharmacy, Nirma University for evaluation my research progress.
My unique thanks to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New
Delhi, India for providing financial support during various stages of my research work
initially as Project Assistant and later as Senior Research Fellow.
My special thanks to Vikram Thermo Ltd., Ahmedabad, India for gifting a series
of Eudragits® (polymers), Southern Clay Products, Gonzales (Texas, USA) for sample
of Cloisite Na+, Khandhelwal Laboratory, Mumbai and Lupin Pharmaceutics, Baroda,
India for drug samples.
I would like to share my love and thanks to my sisters and all other family
members for helping me make the right decisions, showing the way when I got
discouraged and putting up with some eccentric behavior along the way. From heart,
am thankful to my beloved wife “Dr.Divya” for her love, perception, and motivation
during my doctoral work. I could not have completed my thesis without your charming
presence, care, respect, patience, appreciation and faith which kept my spirits alive.
This thesis meant a lovely gift for my son, “Panth” who came to our life during
the last stage of this dissertation.
No dream is ever chased alone. Many people have contributed towards the
successful completion of this research work. So I express my sincere thanks to all those,
who directly or indirectly helped me in various capacities.
Finally I thank the Nature almighty for blessing me with good health and
patience that has lead to successful completion of this piece of research.
Place: Ahmedabad Bhavesh Kevadiya
CSIR-SRF