Burn management is a natural and distinctly programmed process involving overlapping phases of hemostasis,
inflammation, proliferation and remodeling.
Burn wound healing involves initiation of
inflammation, re-epithelialization, granulation, neovascularization and
wound contraction. Despite the availability of multiple preparations for management of
burn wound, there is dire need for efficacious alternative agents. Current approaches for
burn wound management include
pharmaceutical agents and
antibiotics. However, high cost of
synthetic drugs and accelerated resistance to
antibiotics is challenging for both developed and developing nations. Among alternative options, medicinal plants have been a biocompatible, safe and affordable source of preventive/curative approaches. Due to cultural acceptance and patient compliance, there has been a focus on the use of botanical drugs and
phytochemicals for
burn wound healing. Keeping in consideration of medicinal herbs and
phytochemicals as suitable therapeutic/adjuvant agents for
burn wound management, this review highlights therapeutic potential of 35 medicinal herbs and 10
phytochemicals. Among these, Elaeis guineensis, Ephedra ciliate and Terminalia avicennioides showed better
burn wound healing potential with varied mechanisms such as modulation of
TNF-alpha, inflammatory
cytokines,
nitric oxide,
eicosanoids, ROS and leukocyte response.
Phytochemicals (
oleanolic acid,
ursolic acid,
kirenol) also showed promising role in
burn wound management though various pathways involving such as down regulation of
TNF-alpha,
IL-6 and inflammatory mediators including plasma
proteases and
arachidonic acid metabolites. This review provides a pavement for therapeutic/adjuvant use of potential botanical drugs and novel druggable phyto-compounds to target skin
burn injury with diverse mechanisms, affordability and safety profile.