Nanotechnology-mediated developments for improving physicochemical properties and wound healing efficacy of curcumin: a review

Abstract

Wound healing is a highly integrated and complex process of replacing the damaged body tissues with the newer healthy tissues. The chronic wounds (e.g., diabetic, burn, and infected) present serious challenges to normal wound healing process and often require an intensive biomedical care. Curcumin (Cur) is a well-recognized phytocompound that has a long history of being traditionally used for treatment of various diseases including acute-to-chronic wounds; however, its poor aqueous solubility, chemical instability, low bioavailability, and short plasma half-life restrict its clinical translation. To mitigate these shortcomings, versatile nanotechnology-mediated developments have been made which have not only improved its physicochemical properties but also has boosted the wound healing and tissue regeneration efficacy of Cur. This review aims to critically discuss different types of Cur-based nanoformulations for the management of acute-to-chronic wounds. The encapsulation of Cur into nanodelivery systems resulted in a deeper tissue penetration, prolonged localization in tissues, improved antioxidant and antimicrobial efficacy, wound closure rate, angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and collagen deposition without scar formation. However, for successful clinical translation, further investigations on the safety and efficacy of Cur-based nanoformulations in humans are highly warranted.