Natural Bioactive-Based Advanced Wound Dressings for Diabetic Wound Healing: A Systematic Review of Emerging...

Diabetic ulcers are complex wounds that are difficult to treat due to persistent inflammation, excessive oxidative stress, impaired angiogenesis, and microbial infections that disrupt normal healing. Advanced wound dressings such as hydrogels, nanofibre matrices, hydrocolloids, and 3D bioprinted constructs are increasingly developed to incorporate natural bioactive compounds with multifunctional therapeutic properties. However, systematic understanding of their mechanisms and translational relevance remains limited.

This study aims to systematically review natural-based hydrogel, hydrocolloid, and hydrofiber formulations in diabetic wound healing.

A Systematic Literature Review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted using ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, PubMed, and Scopus (2020-2025). Risk of bias was assessed using SYRCLE's tool.

From 5256 initial records, 4412 articles were screened, and 14 studies were included after applying eligibility criteria. These studies examined advanced dressings such as hydrogels, hydrocolloids, nanofibers, 3D bioprinted constructs, and hybrid nanocomposites incorporating natural bioactive compounds. The formulations demonstrated antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-angiogenic, and re-epithelialization effects. Common compounds included curcumin, berberine, propolis, bee venom, and plant extracts combined with polymers such as chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and GelMA. Advanced fabrication improved drug delivery, physicochemical properties, and healing outcomes. At the molecular level, these systems modulated pathways such as NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, MAPK, VEGF, and TGF-β/Smad, contributing to reduced inflammation, oxidative stress suppression, enhanced angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Risk of bias assessment indicated unclear risks in randomization and blinding, although internal validity was generally acceptable Translational readiness remained limited (TRL 2-6), with hydrogels and nanosystems showing the highest potential, while 3D bioprinting faces scalability and regulatory challenges.

Natural-based advanced dressings offer a promising strategy for diabetic wound management. Successful clinical translation requires alignment with scalability, stability, cost-effectiveness, and regulatory compliance. Future research should prioritize standardized preclinical models, controlled release systems, and scalable, regulation-compliant biomaterial designs to accelerate clinical application.