Natural Compound-Loaded PLGA Nanocarriers for Infected Wound Management: A Review

Infected wounds remain a significant clinical challenge due to persistent microbial colonization, biofilm formation, delayed tissue regeneration, and prolonged healing processes. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer approved by the FDA, has gained increasing attention as a carrier for natural compounds because of its ability to provide controlled and sustained drug release, improve compound stability, and enhance therapeutic efficacy. This review summarizes recent advances in PLGA-based formulations loaded with natural compounds for the treatment of infected wounds. Findings from various studies demonstrate that these nanostructures promote wound healing through antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, stimulation of angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and re-epithelialization. In addition, this review discusses different aspects of PLGA-based nanostructures, including fabrication and synthesis strategies, drug release behaviors, and bacterial biofilm-targeting mechanisms, which may play an important role in the development of novel nanoparticle-based therapeutic approaches for overcoming current challenges associated with infected wound management. Overall, the delivery of natural compounds through PLGA-based systems represents a promising strategy for the effective treatment of infected wounds and the advancement of next-generation wound care therapies. This review, with a focus on PLGA-natural compound systems for the treatment of infected wounds, provides a coherent synthesis of dispersed studies and, by emphasizing antibiofilm mechanisms and controlled drug release, offers an integrated perspective for a better understanding of the therapeutic potential of these nanoplatforms.