Herbal Therapeutics for Wound Healing
Summary
Herbal therapeutics for wound healing draw on centuries of traditional practice and are now underpinned by rigorous scientific evaluation. Plant-derived compounds exert multiple bioactivities—antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-collagen and pro-angiogenic—that align with the key phases of tissue repair: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling. Modern formulations seek to overcome limitations of crude extracts by enhancing stability, bioavailability and targeted delivery. Strategies include polymeric hydrogels, nanofibres and composite scaffolds that maintain a moist environment, modulate release kinetics and support cell infiltration. Common botanicals such as Aloe vera, Calendula officinalis, Plantago major and Curcuma longa serve as rich sources of flavonoids, phenolic acids and saponins, which stimulate fibroblast activity, collagen deposition and new capillary formation. Advances in material science—combining natural polymers like chitosan or alginate with herbal actives—have yielded dressings that accelerate re-epithelialisation, reduce infection risk and minimise scarring. As antimicrobial resistance and healthcare costs rise, standardised herbal systems offer a globally accessible, cost-effective adjunct or alternative to conventional wound-care modalities.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Herbal Therapeutics for Wound Healing publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in herbal therapeutics for wound healing across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Hydrogel: A three-dimensional, crosslinked polymer network that absorbs and retains water, serving as a moist wound-dressing matrix and controlled-release vehicle for therapeutic agents.
Polymer composite: A material combining one or more polymers with fillers or bioactive components to enhance mechanical strength, biocompatibility and release characteristics in biomedical applications.
Nanocarrier: A nanoscale delivery system—such as nanoparticles, nanofibres or vesicles—engineered to transport and release bioactive compounds at a target site, improving stability and efficacy.
Fibroblast: A connective tissue cell pivotal to wound repair, responsible for synthesising extracellular matrix proteins, including collagen, and facilitating tissue remodelling.
Angiogenesis: The physiological process of new blood-vessel formation that restores perfusion and supplies oxygen and nutrients to healing tissues.
References
- Pullulan/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels Loaded with Calendula officinalis Extract: Design and In Vitro Evaluation for Wound Healing Applications. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- A review on application of herbals and their polymer composites in wound healing. Arabian Journal of Chemistry (2024).
- Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Ability to Stimulate Wound Healing of a Common-Plantain Extract in Alginate Gel Formulations. Gels (2023).
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