Advanced strategies in medicinal plant polysaccharide-based hydrogels for diabetic foot ulcer healing: A review

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are a major complication of diabetes, often characterized by chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and delayed healing. This review focuses on medicinal plant polysaccharides, and discussed their structural characteristics and application to the treatment of DFU. Various processing technologies for the preparation of materials from polysaccharides are discussed, including microneedles, microspheres, and nanogels. Polysaccharide-based hydrogels demonstrate excellent anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and pro-angiogenic functions. Finally, the review summarizes the major challenges faced by medicinal plant polysaccharides, and the development directions and obstacles for smart responsive hydrogels.