PLANT-DERIVED BIOACTIVES IN ADVANCED WOUND DRESSINGS: HYDROGEL TECHNOLOGIES, ON-DEMAND DELIVERY SYSTEMS, AND TRANSLATIONAL CHALLENGES

Wound management has progressed from conventional topical preparations to advanced dressings designed to maintain an appropriate moisture balance, manage exudate, protect the wound bed, and support tissue repair. Plant-derived bioactive compounds have attracted considerable research interest because of their reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and tissue-modulating properties. However, botanical ingredients exhibit substantial variability in composition, biological activity, and safety, making standardization and formulation-specific evaluation essential. This narrative review examines the biological processes involved in wound healing, hydrogel technology, plant-derived bioactives, natural polymer matrices, and emerging strategies for developing advanced wound dressings. Selected botanical ingredients, including Aloe vera, curcumin from Curcuma longa, Centella asiatica, green-tea polyphenols, and neem-derived constituents, are discussed in relation to their potential formulation applications and the limitations of the available evidence. Cellulose derivatives, pectin, starch, and alginate are considered as matrix-forming materials, with their botanical or marine origins clearly distinguished. Particular attention is given to an emerging research concept involving a dry, unit-dose tablet that can be dispersed and hydrated to produce a wound-contact hydrogel. Such a system could offer advantages in portability and on-demand preparation, but its feasibility depends on reproducible hydration, gel cohesion, dose uniformity, extract stability, microbiological control, and biological compatibility. The proposed tablet-activated system should be regarded as a developmental concept rather than an established clinical technology. Future research should prioritize standardized botanical materials, comparative formulation studies, validated analytical methods, risk-based biological evaluation, and clinically relevant performance outcomes. Translational progress will depend on demonstrating a meaningful advantage over conventional ready-to-use dressings.