Nanotechnology- Mediated Delivery of Phytomedicine for Burn Wound Healing

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<div>Skin is the largest organ of the body, which serves as the first line of defense</div><div>mechanism by providing a passive physical barrier against infection. The damage to</div><div>this protective barrier due to burn wound may lead to discomfort, infection, prolonged</div><div>hospitalization and increased risk of amputation. The healing of skin wounds is very</div><div>complex and involves many spontaneous processes, namely inflammation,</div><div>proliferation, maturation, and re-epithelization. The different phases of wound healing</div><div>consist of fibroblast-induced fibroplasia, vessel endothelial cell-involved angiogenesis,</div><div>proliferation of epithelial cells, and deposition of connective tissue with overall</div><div>contraction of the wound. Indeed, poor wound healing in patients with some disease</div><div>conditions such as diabetes, ischemia, and immuno-suppression increases the risk of</div><div>infections and complicates the situation. A vascular wound bed provides an ideal</div><div>environment for the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)</div><div>and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is the reason that 75% of deaths are related to burn</div><div>injury infections. Various researches have made attempts to explore specific</div><div>therapeutics that can facilitate the wound healing process and prevent chronic wound</div><div>complications. The herbs contain several active constituents, and the use of these</div><div>phytomedicines in expediting healing is, therefore, strongly suggested. The</div><div>preclinical/clinical findings of these phytomedicines (such as berberine, bromelain,</div><div>silymarin, madecassoside, resveratrol, epigallocatechin, and curcumin, etc.) suggested</div><div>significant healing activity against burn wound but possessed various limitations,</div><div>which includes low aqueous solubility, photodegradation, and chemical instability</div><div>making its use challenging in clinical practice. In addition, the topical wound healing</div><div>effects of these phytomedicines are hampered due to their low skin permeability. In</div><div>order to overcome these shortcomings, various researchers have developed</div><div>phytomedicines containing nanoformulations exploiting nanotechnology to enhance its cutaneous bioavailability and augment wound healing activity. This book chapter aims</div><div>to overview the various phytomedicines, their nanoformulations design and</div><div>applicability in various forms to enhance the bioavailability/efficacy in burn wound</div><div>healing.</div>