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: Honey is a natural biologically active substance with antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and tissue regeneration–promoting properties, and it has traditionally been used in wound treatment for centuries. Numerous studies have confirmed that the phenolic compounds, enzymes, hydrogen peroxide, and amino acids contained in honey inhibit bacterial growth and accelerate wound healing. Wound infections are commonly caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli which are major factors that delay wound healing and lead to complications. However, the direct application of honey to wounds presents challenges such as adhesiveness, absorption, dose stability, and sterility. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate honey into a suitable pharmaceutical dosage form to facilitate its use and introduce natural raw materials into therapeutic practice. Thus, incorporating honey as the main active ingredient into a hydrogel dressing could enable the development of a novel therapeutic wound dressing that is physically and chemically stable and capable of maintaining an optimal moist wound environment, which is essential for wound healing. Honey-containing hydrogel dressings differ from other dressings in their ability to balance the wound environment, absorb and retain moisture, provide antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, and support tissue regeneration. The significance of this study lies not only in investigating the antibacterial activity of honey but also in determining the bacterial killing time, thereby providing useful data for future studies. Aim: To investigate the antibacterial activity of honey and determine its bacterial killing time. Materials and Methods: Domestic honey samples were compared with imported honey samples in terms of antibacterial activity and bacterial killing time. Domestic honey samples were coded as D1, D2, D3, C1, and C2, while the imported honey sample was coded as M. A total of six honey samples were evaluated. Using the broth microdilution method, the antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains commonly associated with burn wound infections Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 28583, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 1706, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25218 was determined and compared. Subsequently, bacterial killing time was evaluated using the broth dilution method with honey concentrations prepared at ratios of 7:3 (70%), 5:5 (50%), and 4:6 (40%). Results: The antibacterial activities of D1, D2, D3, C1, C2, and M honey samples against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli were determined. Among them, D3, C2, and M honey samples showed stronger antibacterial activity. Therefore, these three honey samples were further investigated by determining bacterial killing time over an 18-hour period. For D3 honey diluted at a 7:3 ratio, the killing time was 15 hours for S. aureus and 7 hours for P. aeruginosa, while the killing times for K. pneumoniae and E. coli exceeded 18 hours. D3 honey diluted at a 5:5 ratio showed bacterial killing times exceeding 18 hours for all tested bacteria. For C2 honey diluted at a 7:3 ratio, the killing times were 16 hours for S. aureus, 12 hours for P. aeruginosa, 16 hours for K. pneumoniae, and 17 hours for E. coli. C2 honey diluted at a 5:5 ratio killed E. coli in 18 hours, whereas the killing times for S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae exceeded 18 hours. For M honey diluted at a 7:3 ratio, the killing times were 8 hours for S. aureus, 7 hours for P. aeruginosa, 9 hours for K. pneumoniae, and 8 hours for E. coli. M honey diluted at a 5:5 ratio killed S. aureus in 9 hours, P. aeruginosa in 10 hours, K. pneumoniae in 10 hours, and E. coli in 9 hours. Conclusions 1. The antibacterial activity of honey against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli varied depending on honey concentration, with honey concentrations of 40–45% demonstrating the highest antibacterial activity. Furthermore, M honey exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity compared to the other honey samples. 2. In determining bacterial killing time, the domestic honey samples killed bacteria within 9 hours, whereas the imported honey sample killed bacteria within 7 hours.

Background: Vitamin E is an oil-soluble compound with antioxidant properties against free radicals. It has been used in cosmetic practice since long time ago. However, it is unstable to light and heat, and even when formulated into pharmaceuticals, it has poor skin penetration, which can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Therefore, by encapsulating Vitamin E in liposomes and forming a gel, it is possible to produce a highly therapeutically effective drug form that supports skin homeostasis and provides moisturizing benefits. To this reason, it is necessary to determine the appropriate methods and conditions for encapsulation in liposomes, which is the basis for conducting this study. Aim: The goal of the research is to develop a technology for preparing vitamin E-loaded liposomes and incorporating them into a gel formulation. Materials and Methods: Liposomes were formed using thin film hydration, ethanol injection, and heating methods, each with 5 different concentrations, and liposome formation was determined spectrophotometrically for each sample. The size of the formed liposomes was determined using a Nanophox instrument. Six gel models were prepared and compared for quality parameters. Results: The highest yield was obtained when 75 mg of phospholipids were used in the thin film hydration method, which is 82.3%; the highest yield was obtained when 50 mg of phospholipids were used in the ethanol injection method, which is 86.75%; and the highest yield was obtained when 50 mg of phospholipids were used in the heating method, which is 58.8%. The average size of liposomes prepared by ethanol injection and dissolved in distilled water was 106 nm. The gel bases were prepared using models F1-F6, and the pH values of models F4 and F5 were suitable. Conclusions 1. Among the three methods for liposome formation, the ethanol injection method had the highest yield. 2. The ethanol injection method had the highest encapsulation when prepared with a phospholipid:vitamin E ratio of (1:10). 3. For gel base model F5 was suitable which is carbomer 1.0%, preservative propylparaben 0.02%, pH adjuster sodium hydroxide, and permeability enhancer propylene glycol 10%.