Alstonia scholaris (L.) has been a popular household remedy for inflammation of the respiratory system and liver etc. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) its leaf extract is available commercially (anti-inflammatory, analgesic activities, anti-tussive, anti-asthmatic and expectorant activities).Hence, it was thought worthwhile to explore a detailed study of its pharmacognostic and hepatoprotective activity using well established models

HiPIMS (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering) is a relatively new highly ionized sputtering technique used to deposit engineering quality thin films, with the advantage that the deposition flux can be guided to the substrate through the electrical biasing. As the technique is on the verge of being adopted by the industries, it is necessary to understand its physics very well so that thin films with tailored properties can be deposited. Therefore, time-resolved diagnostic studies have been carried out to get better physical insight of the HiPIMS processes. This book also provides...

The use of plants as medicine is as old as human civilization. People of all ages in both developing and developed countries use plants in an attempt to cure various diseases and to get relief from physical sufferings. Natural products are a source for bioactive compounds and have potential for developing some novel therapeutic agents. Averrhoa carambola L., belonging to family Oxalidaceae, is popularly known as the "Star Fruit" or "Kamrakh." It has various medicinal uses viz. antipruritic, antipyretic, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, antimicrobial etc. Over the past decades,...