Interest in the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in surface coatings and films has increased as its incorporation can significantly improve the mechanical and antimicrobial properties of coatings and film solutions. In an effort to produce green or eco‐friendly products, the potential use of ZnO NPs biosynthesized from natural resources to replace conventional petroleum‐derived polymers has been investigated. This review provides an insight into the growing trend of incorporating ZnO NPs into synthetic or semi‐synthetic or bio‐based polymeric materials via different synthesis methods as well as its characteristics and potential applications in surface coatings and films. The antimicrobial potential of ZnO NPs to inhibit the growth of various types of microorganisms as well as its use in surface coatings or films to impart antimicrobial activities that prevent the spread of microorganisms, especially the COVID‐19 virus, was also discussed.

In the past few decades, nanotechnology has been receiving significant attention globally and is being continuously developed in various innovations for diverse applications, such as tissue engineering, biotechnology, biomedicine, textile, and food technology. Nanotechnological materials reportedly lack cell-interactive properties and are easily degraded into unfavourable products due to the presence of synthetic polymers in their structures. This is a major drawback of nanomaterials and is a cause of concern in the biomedicine field. Meanwhile, particulate systems, such as metallic nanoparticles (NPs), have captured the interest of the medical field due to their potential to inhibit the growth of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses). Lately, researchers have shown a great interest in hydrogels in the biomedicine field due to their ability to retain and release drugs as well as to offer a moist environment. Hence, the development and innovation of hydrogel-incorporated metallic NPs from natural sources has become one of the alternative pathways for elevating the efficiency of therapeutic systems to make them highly effective and with fewer undesirable side effects. The objective of this review article is to provide insights into the latest fabricated metallic nanocomposite hydrogels and their current applications in the biomedicine field using nanotechnology and to discuss the limitations of this technology for future exploration. This article gives an overview of recent metallic nanocomposite hydrogels fabricated from bioresources, and it reviews their antimicrobial activities in facilitating the demands for their application in biomedicine. The work underlines the fabrication of various metallic nanocomposite hydrogels through the utilization of natural sources in the production of biomedical innovations, including wound healing treatment, drug delivery, scaffolds, etc. The potential of these nanocomposites in relation to their mechanical strength, antimicrobial activities, cytotoxicity, and optical properties has brought this technology into a new dimension in the biomedicine field. Finally, the limitations of metallic nanocomposite hydrogels in terms of their methods of synthesis, properties, and outlook for biomedical applications are further discussed.