Skin wounds are damage to the epithelial layer and the integrity of living tissue. The healing mechanism is dynamic and complex, and often treatments with wound dressings help in tissue regeneration, reducing the risk of infections. Polymeric hydrogels become good candidates for wet curing process. These materials prevent dehydration of the tissue and avoid discomfort to the patient when changing the dressing. In this short review, we demonstrate the importance of the healing process, the types of skin wounds, and the hydrogels that are potentially attractive as wound dressings.

Nanotechnology has played a prominent role in biomedical engineering, offering innovative approaches to numerous treatments. Notable advances have been observed in the development of medical devices, contributing to the advancement of modern medicine. This article briefly discusses key applications of nanotechnology in tissue engineering, controlled drug release systems, biosensors and monitoring, and imaging and diagnosis. The particular emphasis on this theme will result in a better understanding, selection, and technical approach to nanomaterials for biomedical purposes, including biological risks, security, and biocompatibility criteria.

Wound healing can result in complex problems, and discovering an effective method to improve the healing process is essential. Polymeric biomaterials have structures similar to those identified in the extracellular matrix of the tissue to be regenerated and also avoid chronic inflammation, and immunological reactions. To obtain smart and effective dressings, bioactive agents, such as essential oils, are also used to promote a wide range of biological properties, which can accelerate the healing process. Therefore, we intend to explore advances in the potential for applying hybrid materials in wound healing. For this, fifty scientific articles dated from 2010 to 2023 were investigated using the Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed databases. The principles of the healing process, use of polymers, type and properties of essential oils and processing techniques, and characteristics of dressings were identified. Thus, the plants Syzygium romanticum or Eugenia caryophyllata, Origanum vulgare, and Cinnamomum zeylanicum present prospects for application in clinical trials due to their proven effects on wound healing and reducing the incidence of inflammatory cells in the site of injury. The antimicrobial effect of essential oils is mainly due to polyphenols and terpenes such as eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, and thymol.

Developing a biomimetic material to wound care is an emerging need for the healing process. Poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a polymer with the necessary dressing’s requirements often used in medicine. Their surface, physic-chemical and biological properties can be modified by adding bioactive compounds, such as andiroba seed oil (Carapa guianensis). This Amazonian natural plant has medicinal and pharmacological properties. For this purpose, PCL polymeric films incorporated with andiroba oil were investigated. The synthesis of hybrids materials was carried out in the solvent casting method. Thermal properties were evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The solvent type on the surface and hydrophilicity of samples was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Additionally, contact angle measurements, functional groups analysis, fluid absorption capacity, and cell viability were performed. The results demonstrated the influences of andiroba oil under the morphology and thermal properties of the polymeric matrix; the hydrophilicity of the hybrid film obtained by acetic acid was reduced by 13%; the porosity decreased as the concentration of oil increased, but its higher thermal stability. The L929 cell line’s proliferation was observed in all materials, and it presented nontoxic nature. It was demonstrated the ability of PCL hybrid film as a matrix for cell growth. Then, the materials were proved potential candidates for biomedical applications.