Background: Numerous international studies have established that the antibacterial activity of honey is attributed to its key components, including hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal, peptides, polyphenolic compounds, high sugar content, and acidic pH. Despite the vast consumption of different types of honey in Mongolia, there is a lack of sufficient scientific evidence on their antibacterial properties, which served as the rationale for conducting this study. Aim: A study comparing the antibacterial activity of honey commonly traded in Mongolia. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using an experimental research design. Eight standard pathogenic bacterial strains were utilized: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 1706, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 700699, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 35984, Salmonella enterica ATCC 13076, and Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606. A total of 14 honey samples were selected for the study, comprising 11 samples sourced from the Uvs, Tuv, Sukhbaatar, Khentii, Dornod, Darkhan, Selenge, and Khuvsgul provinces of Mongolia, and 3 Manuka-type honey samples from Australia. The samples were serially diluted in broth using a 96-well U-bottom microtiter plate. One microliter of each bacterial suspension was added, and the plates were incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours. Subsequently, the cultures were spread onto Mueller-Hinton agar and incubated under the same conditions. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by evaluating bacterial growth inhibition and bactericidal activity, respectively. Result: Among the tested samples, the Manuka honey with MGO 570 and the honey collected from Tumentsogt soum in Sukhbaatar province exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity against MRSA, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5% (v/v) and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 25% (v/v). In contrast, the antibacterial activity of Manuka honey with UMF 5 and the honeys sourced from Tuv, Uvs, and Khalkhgol soum in Dornod province demonstrated MIC and MBC values of 25% (v/v) and 50% (v/v), respectively. The Manuka honey with MGO 30, as well as the honeys collected from Selenge, Darkhan, Sukhbaatar, Khentii, and Rashaant and Tarialan soums in Khuvsgul province, showed comparatively weaker activity against MRSA, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion 1. The antibacterial activity of natural and cultivated floral honeys was assessed by determining their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against eight standard bacterial strains. 2. All seven natural floral honey samples exhibited measurable antibacterial effects against the tested strains, whereas some of the cultivated floral honey samples showed no observable activity against certain bacterial strains.

Background: Maintaining the concentration of a drug in the blood at a therapeutic level is crucial for enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing adverse effects. Conventional dosage forms are rapidly absorbed, causing a quick rise in the drug concentration in the blood, but it soon declines. As a result, frequent dosing is required in chronic or acute conditions. This can lead to drug concentrations exceeding therapeutic levels, increasing toxicity, or failing to reach the required level. To address these limitations, drug delivery systems (DDS) have been intensively developed over the past few decades. Among these systems, microencapsulation technology enables targeted delivery of the drug within the body, maintains stability, controls release, improves bioavailability, reduces side effects, and protects the active pharmaceutical ingredient from degradation or elimination, delivering it specifically to the necessary tissues. These characteristics provided the rationale for conducting this study. Aim: Select a suitable polymer for microcapsule formation, develop a production technology using the emulsion solvent evaporation method, and evaluate certain morphological characteristics of the resulting microcapsules. Materials and Methods: The microcapsules were prepared using an O/W emulsion solvent evaporation method. Dichloromethane (DCM) was used as the solvent, and the wall materials were solutions of chitosan (2% w/v) and gelatin (5% w/v), which are polymers combining biodegradability and biocompatibility. These solutions were mixed in a total of eight different ratios and emulsified into an aqueous phase containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, 1% w/v) using a high-speed homogenizer at 8000–10000 rpm to form the emulsion, followed by solvent evaporation. The resulting microcapsules were freeze-dried to obtain dry microcapsule forms. The morphology and surface structure of the microcapsules were characterized using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while their size and distribution were analyzed using the ImageJ software. Result: To determine the optimal wall material for the microcapsules, a total of eight formulation ratios were prepared, and the emulsion stability and viscosity were evaluated. Chitosan-dominant formulations (F1, F7, F8) exhibited excessively high viscosity and a tendency for the system to thicken, which reduced the uniformity and stability of the emulsion. In contrast, formulations with low or imbalanced gelatin content (F2, F3) failed to achieve complete emulsion stabilization and showed significant phase separation. The F5 formulation demonstrated the best stability, minimal phase separation, and appropriate viscosity, making it the optimal choice for microcapsule wall preparation. The chitosan-to-gelatin ratio of 1:2 (F5 formulation) was found to be the most suitable in terms of complete microcapsule formation, spherical shape, uniform surface, and proper viscosity. Microcapsules of the F5 formulation had an average diameter of 290±30 µm, were spherical, and maintained shape stability even after freeze-drying. A microcapsule preparation technology based on the emulsion method was developed experimentally, and the most suitable conditions were established. Conclusion 1. The results of the study indicated that a chitosan-to-gelatin ratio of 1:2 was the most suitable formulation for microcapsules in terms of complete formation, spherical shape, and uniform surface characteristics. 2. When the gelatin content increased, microcapsule morphology deteriorated and aggregation tendencies were observed, whereas higher chitosan content increased the viscosity of the solution, which affected the stability of the emulsion and resulted in non-uniform microcapsule sizes. 3. The 1:2 chitosan-gelatin ratio is therefore crucial for microcapsule preparation, and this wall composition can be applied in further studies involving drug-loaded microcapsules.

Background: According to the First National Tuberculosis (TB) Prevalence Survey in Mongolia the prevalence of bacteriologically-confirmed pulmonary TB among adults was 559.6 (95% CI: 454.5–664.7) per 100000 population in 2014–2015. This was three times as high as previously estimated. Nationwide anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug resistance survey was conducted in 1999 and 2007 in Mongolia. Share of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases among newly notified TB cases increased from 1.0% in 1999 to 1.4% in 2007. Accordingly, we aimed to perform drug susceptibility test on strains isolated from TB Prevalence Survey and to determine the prevalence of drug resistant TB. Material and Methods: All 242 MTB strains isolated from the survey TB cases were tested GenoTypeMTBDRplus test and conventional 1st line DST on solid medium. Result: Conventional DST and GenoTypeMTBDRplus tests done for 93.8% (227/242) of them and 6.2% (15/242) were tested by GenoTypeMTBDRplus only. A 61.6% (95%CI 55.3-67.4) of all cases were susceptible to first line anti-TB drugs, any drug resistance and MDR-TBdetected as 38.4% (95% CI 32.5-44.7)and 9.5% (95% CI 6.4-13.9), respectively. Prevalence of MDR-TB was7.8% (95% CI 4.9-12.4) among new and 17.9% (95% CI 9.0-32.7) among previously treated cases. The 64 strains were identified as a resistant to isoniazid, 32.8% (42/64) and 65.6% (21/64) were katG, and inhAmutation, respectively. One isolate (1.6%) was mutations in both the inhAand katGgenes.The predominant mutations detected in therpoB were S531L (91.3%) among rifampicin resistant isolates and the mutation in inhAwas C–15T (100%) and katG mutation was S315T1 (100%) among isoniazid-resistant isolates. Conclusion Prevalence of cases with DR-TB is high among prevalent TB cases, especially prevalence of MDR-TB among new cases. In comparison to previous studies, DR-TB cases seem to be increased. Rifampicin resistant strains have a mutation of the rpoBand resistance to isoniazid is predominantly associated with the inhA mutation.