Konjac Gum in the Development of Hydrogel for Wound Dressing: A Bibliography and Patent Profile Review

Konjac gum is derived from the tuber Amorphophallus konjac K. Koch and is rich in Glucomannan, a polysaccharide with high gelling power. This study aims to evaluate, through a bibliographic and patent survey, the use of Konjac gum in the production of pharmaceutical hydrogels. The research was carried out through databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Medline, and by the Orbit Intelligence platform from 2004 to February 2025. In total, 12 articles and 25 patent families were identified, including patents related to the use of the Konjac hydrogel formulation range. 32% of the hydrogel formulations used on skin injuries analyzed had konjac in their composition due to its gelling action, and in 24% of patents, researchers introduced konjac gum in the development because of its healing potential. A 0.05 g concentration of konjac gum was the most common method for preparing antibacterial gels, which exhibited good biocompatibility and possessed excellent antibacterial and hemostatic properties, potentially aiding in the healing of infected wounds. Inventions using 1 g of glucomannan aimed to improve the hydrogel structure. Konjac, due to its greater biocompatibility, biodegradability, and renewability, in addition to its high gelling, healing, and inflammatory process reduction power, has aroused growing interest in the production of biomedical materials such as hydrogels for the treatment of skin wounds.