A review of wound dressings treated with Aloe vera and its application on natural fabrics

Abstract

Natural wound dressings extracted from Aloe vera leaves have gained greater recognition in the treatment of wounds due to their ability to accelerate wound healing and their nontoxic nature for humans and the environment. Treated wound dressing allows the removal of moisture and movement of gases to and from the wound area while the antimicrobial agent in it suppresses microbial growth. Extracted Aloe vera components can be applied directly into a fabric or they can be electrospun to nanoparticles that are incorporated into the fabric. Because biological antimicrobial agents like Aloe vera are not highly effective against high concentrations of microorganisms, chemical antimicrobial agents are still used even though they are harmful. Processing Aloe vera using methods like the thermal treatment method makes the Aloe vera lose some of its therapeutic benefits. Natural fabrics treated with Aloe vera can be used as an alternative to chemical agents used for wound treatment. Natural wound dressings treated with natural antimicrobial agents have the advantage of preventing microbial growth while at the same time promoting wound healing without activating the immune response as they are biocompatible.