Table 1.
A summary of the therapeutic efficacy of polymer-based hydrogels enriched with essential oils.
| Polymers Used | Loaded Essential Oils | Outcomes | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gellan gum | Lavender oil | Excellent antibacterial and antioxidant activity, and fast wound healing process. | [65] |
| Keratin and PVP | Lavender oil | Good antibacterial properties | [66] |
| Chitosan | TTO | Excellent antimicrobial activity. | [67] |
| Carbopol | TTO | Excellent spreadability and effective wound healing efficacy. | [72] |
| PVA and starch | TTO | Moderate WVTR and good antibacterial activity. | [73] |
| Alginate | TTO | Excellent antibacterial efficacy | [70] |
| Cellulose | Thyme oil | Burst drug release followed by sustained release. Excellent antibacterial activity. | [80] |
| Alginate and PVA | Thyme oil | Excellent antimicrobial activity. | [82] |
| Chitosan and PEG | Thyme oil | Moderate WVTR and good antibacterial efficacy | [82] |
| Chitosan | Thyme oil | Excellent biocompatibility and non-toxicity. | [83] |
| Chitosan and cellulose | Thyme oil | Excellent antibacterial activity. | [84] |
| Gelatin and silk sericin | Thyme oil | Initial rapid drug release followed by sustained release. Excellent antibacterial activity. | [85] |
| κ-carrageenan and polyethylene glycol | Thyme oil | The hydrogels prevented infections and accelerated wound healing with 95% antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and non-cytotoxic. | [86] |
| Carbopol | Rosemary oil | Good antibacterial activity. | [90] |
| Gelatin | Eupatorium adenophorum oil | Good mechanical properties and antibacterial activity. | [92] |
| Cellulose | Clove oil | Excellent biocompatibility and non-toxicity. | [93] |
| PVA | Ginger essential oil | Excellent biocompatibility and non-toxicity. | [96] |
| Gelatin and PVA | Ginger oil | Good wound healing activity. | [97] |
| Gelatin | Galium verum essential oil | Excellent antibacterial activity. | [98] |
| Gelatin and PVA | Zataria multiflora essential oil | Excellent antibacterial activity. | [99] |
| carboxymethyl chitosan and carbomer 940. | Eucalyptus, ginger, and cumin oil. | Excellent antibacterial activities against S. aureus and E. coli (46.26 ± 2.22% and 63.05 ± 0.99%, respectively) with cell viability of 92.37%. | [100] |
| Collagen | Cannabis sativa oil | The hydrogel inhibited 99% of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. | [102] |