Rapid development of nanotechnology has been in high demand, especially for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) since they have been proven to be useful in various fields such as medicine, textiles, and household appliances. AgNPs are very important because of their unique physicochemical and antimicrobial properties, with a myriad of activities that are applicable in various fields, including wound care management. This review aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of AgNPs that are responsible for their antiviral properties and their antibacterial activity towards the microorganisms. AgNPs can be synthesized through three different methods—physical, chemical, and biological synthesis—as indicated in this review. The applications and limitations of the AgNPs such as their cytotoxicity towards humans and the environment, will be discussed. Based on the literature search obtained, the properties of AgNPs scrutinizing the antibacterial or antiviral effect shown different interaction towards bacteria which dependent on the synthesis processes followed by the morphological structure of AgNPs.

Collagen is the most abundant structural protein found in humans and mammals, particularly in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Its primary function is to hold the body together. The collagen superfamily of proteins includes over 20 types that have been identified. Yet, collagen type I is the major component in many tissues and can be extracted as a natural biomaterial for various medical and biological purposes. Collagen has multiple advantageous characteristics, including varied sources, biocompatibility, sustainability, low immunogenicity, porosity, and biodegradability. As such, collagen-type-I-based bioscaffolds have been widely used in tissue engineering. Biomaterials based on collagen type I can also be modified to improve their functions, such as by crosslinking to strengthen the mechanical property or adding biochemical factors to enhance their biological activity. This review discusses the complexities of collagen type I structure, biosynthesis, sources for collagen derivatives, methods of isolation and purification, physicochemical characteristics, and the current development of collagen-type-I-based scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. The advancement of additional novel tissue engineered bioproducts with refined techniques and continuous biomaterial augmentation is facilitated by understanding the conventional design and application of biomaterials based on collagen type I.

Skin injury is quite common, and the wound healing is a complex process involving many types of cells, the extracellular matrix, and soluble mediators. Cell differentiation, migration, and proliferation are essential in restoring the integrity of the injured tissue. Despite the advances in science and technology, we have yet to find the ideal dressing that can support the healing of cutaneous wounds effectively, particularly for difficult-to-heal chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, bed sores, and venous ulcers. Hence, there is a need to identify and incorporate new ideas and methods to design a more effective dressing that not only can expedite wound healing but also can reduce scarring. Calcium has been identified to influence the wound healing process. This review explores the functions and roles of calcium in skin regeneration and reconstruction during would healing. Furthermore, this review also investigates the possibility of incorporating calcium into scaffolds and examines how it modulates cutaneous wound healing. In summary, the preliminary findings are promising. However, some challenges remain to be addressed before calcium can be used for cutaneous wound healing in clinical settings.

Cellulose is a naturally existing element in the plant’s cell wall and in several bacteria. The unique characteristics of bacterial cellulose (BC), such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility, together with the modifiable form of nanocellulose, or the integration with nanoparticles, such as nanosilver (AgNP), all for antibacterial effects, contributes to the extensive usage of BC in wound healing applications. Due to this, BC has gained much demand and attention for therapeutical usage over time, especially in the pharmaceutical industry when compared to plant cellulose (PC). This paper reviews the progress of related research based on in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials, including the overall information concerning BC and PC production and its mechanisms in wound healing. The physicochemical differences between BC and PC have been clearly summarized in a comparison table. Meanwhile, the latest Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved BC products in the biomedical field are thoroughly discussed with their applications. The paper concludes on the need for further investigations of BC in the future, in an attempt to make BC an essential wound dressing that has the ability to be marketable in the global marketplace.

Bacterial cellulose (BC)/acrylic acid (AA) hydrogel has successfully been investigated as a wound dressing for partial-thickness burn wound. It is also a promising biomaterial cell carrier because it bears some resemblance to the natural soft tissue. This study assessed its ability to deliver human epidermal keratinocytes (EK) and dermal fibroblasts (DF) for the treatment of full-thickness skin lesions. In vitro studies demonstrated that BC/AA hydrogel had excellent cell attachment, maintained cell viability with limited migration, and allowed cell transfer. In vivo wound closure, histological, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy evaluation revealed that hydrogel alone (HA) and hydrogel with cells (HC) accelerated wound healing compared to the untreated controls. Gross appearance and Masson’s trichrome staining indicated that HC was better than HA. This study suggests the potential application of BC/AA hydrogel with dual functions, as a cell carrier and wound dressing, to promote full-thickness wound healing.

Natural-based biomaterials play an important role in developing new products for medical applications, primarily in cutaneous injuries. A large panel of biomaterials with antioxidant properties has revealed an advancement in supporting and expediting tissue regeneration. However, their low bioavailability in preventing cellular oxidative stress through the delivery system limits their therapeutic activity at the injury site. The integration of antioxidant compounds in the implanted biomaterial should be able to maintain their antioxidant activity while facilitating skin tissue recovery. This review summarises the recent literature that reported the role of natural antioxidant-incorporated biomaterials in promoting skin wound healing and tissue regeneration, which is supported by evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Antioxidant-based therapies for wound healing have shown promising evidence in numerous animal studies, even though clinical studies remain very limited. We also described the underlying mechanism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and provided a comprehensive review of ROS-scavenging biomaterials found in the literature in the last six years.