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