Natural Products in Wound Regeneration

The skin is the largest organ in the body that provides protection. When a wound occurs, the skin structure and its function are damaged, and it can even compromise life. Damage repair can occur through two mechanisms: healing and regeneration. When a scar forms, fibrosis occurs in the area, and the skin appendages, which include the glands and hair follicles, are lost. In regeneration, the functionality of the skin is partially or totally recovered. Medicinal plants and their active principles favor the regeneration of skin wounds because they have direct effects on the different phases of the process. They favor hemostasis, and modulate inflammation, which allows the following stages of healing to occur in less time, such as proliferation and remodeling. They favor hemostasis, modulate inflammation, and that the following stages of healing to occur in less time (proliferation and remodeling). Natural products can also reduce the risk of wound infections by having antibacterial activity. However, the bioavailability of the extracts and their metabolites may be limited, and a solution to this problem is to integrate them into preparations such as hydrogels, nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanoemulsions. Research on the therapeutic properties of various natural products and their integration into the formulations mentioned above for wound regeneration is described below according to their effect on epithelialization, regeneration of epidermal appendages, vascularization, and in some cases their mechanism of action.