Biopolymer Hydrogel-Based Nanocomposites Functionalized with Natural Products for Wound Dressings: Translational Advances in Drug Design, Development, and Therapeutic Wound Care

Biopolymer hydrogel-based nanocomposites functionalized with natural products have emerged as advanced therapeutic platforms for next-generation wound dressings, addressing the multifactorial challenges associated with acute and chronic wounds. By integrating biocompatible hydrogel scaffolds with natural product-derived bioactives and nanoparticle-enabled delivery systems, these multifunctional constructs provide a moist wound microenvironment, promote gas exchange, regulate exudates, and support cellular adhesion, proliferation, and tissue regeneration. This review critically examines recent advances in the design, fabrication, and functionalization of biopolymer hydrogels with natural product-based nanoparticles, highlighting their synergistic roles in enhancing antimicrobial efficacy, antioxidant defense, anti-inflammatory responses, angiogenesis, and controlled drug release. Key structure-property-function relationships are discussed, with emphasis on hydrogel composition, crosslinking strategies, physicomechanical performance, and release kinetics in relation to wound healing outcomes. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as bioinspired nanocomposites, smart and stimuli-responsive hydrogels, and advanced fabrication approaches are evaluated. Importantly, translational considerations including scalability, sterilization, batch-to-batch consistency, regulatory pathways, and available preclinical and clinical evidence are addressed to bridge laboratory research with clinical implementation. Collectively, this review underscores natural product-functionalized biopolymer hydrogel nanocomposites as a promising, sustainable, and patient-centric strategy for therapeutic wound care and translational drug design and development.