Abstract
(1) Background: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial role in the preparation of the normal wound healing response. Therefore, a correct balance between low or high levels of ROS is essential. Antioxidant dressings that regulate this balance are a target for new therapies. The purpose of this review is to identify the compounds with antioxidant properties that have been tested for wound healing and to summarize the available evidence on their effects. (2) Methods: A literature search was conducted and included any study that evaluated the effects or mechanisms of antioxidants in the healing process (in vitro, animal models or human studies). (3) Results: Seven compounds with antioxidant activity were identified (Curcumin, N-acetyl cysteine, Chitosan, Gallic Acid, Edaravone, Crocin, Safranal and Quercetin) and 46 studies reporting the effects on the healing process of these antioxidants compounds were included. (4) Conclusions: this review offers a map of the research on some of the antioxidant compounds with potential for use as wound therapies and basic research on redox balance and oxidative stress in the healing process. Curcumin, NAC, quercetin and chitosan are the antioxidant compounds that shown some initial evidence of efficacy, but more research in human is needed.
Highlights
Skin is the largest organ of the human body, forming the outer covering and acting as the first barrier to the external environment against dehydration, chemical or radiological damage and microorganisms’ invasion [1]
This review seven compounds with antioxidant activity that hav tested for their effectidentified on the healing process, mainly in controlling oxidative stress
In the aforementioned curcumin group, higher granulation scores and higher collagen contents were observed. These results demonstrated that the combination of grafted chitosan and curcumin improved the wound healing process and showed excellent free radical scavenging capabilities
Summary
Skin is the largest organ of the human body, forming the outer covering and acting as the first barrier to the external environment against dehydration, chemical or radiological damage and microorganisms’ invasion [1]. A wound is any disruption of the skin layers that alters its structure and function [2]. Wound repair is a complex, but dynamic and orderly process, characterized by a series of overlapping phases that interact: (1) coagulation, (2) immune response and inflammation, (3) proliferation and (4) remodeling [3,4]. When this highly regulated process is disrupted, the healing stops, resulting in a chronic wound ( known as a hard-to-heal wound or non-healing wound). A chronic wound is defined as a wound that does not heal in the orderly stages of the healing process, does not heal within three months or is 40–50%
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