Efficacy of Topical Bioactive Plant Extracts in Burn Wound Healing: A Systematic Review of Clinical and Preclinical Evidence
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Bioactive Plant Extracts, Burn Wound Preclinical Evidence, Systematic Review
Abstract
The proposed systematic review should be an in-depth review of the effectiveness of topical bioactive plant extracts in the healing of burn wounds of all types (thermal, chemical, electrical, and radiation) and all depths (first-, second-, and third-degree). The objectives are: To evaluate the efficacy of plant extracts in enhancing the most important outcome, such as time to heal, infection, pain, scar, and biological (e.g., IL-6, VEGF, collagen deposition) outcomes. To clarify the mechanistic apparent working action such as, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and angiogenic. The review aims at well-investigated plant extracts, such as Aloe vera, Centella asiatica, Curcuma longa, Calendula officinalis, Hippophae rhamnoides, and Betula pendula, since they are proven to be effective and applicable in burn management. This systematic review is convincing that bioactive plant extracts, specifically, Aloe vera, Centella asiatica, and Curcuma longa, hasten the healing of burn wounds, alleviate pain, enhance the quality of scars, and decrease the rate of infection in superficial and partial-thickness burns. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity, scarce information on both deep burns and the necessity of large-scale RCTs make additional investigations. The clinical adoption of plant-based therapies could be improved with standardized formulations, novel delivery methods such as hydrogels, and follow-up studies to determine the long-term outcomes and/or improve the clinical results of patients with burn injuries and decrease the socioeconomic price of burn care.
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