Wound care management is a significant challenge in clinical practice, prompting the exploration of novel and effective treatments. The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), primarily cultivated for its oil, shows promising potential beyond its traditional uses. This review explores the phytochemicals present in oil palm leaves, extraction technologies, their biological activities, and underlying mechanism pathways in wound healing. Through an extensive review of current literature, key compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acid glycosides, organic acids, amine and amino acids, and carbohydrates are identified. Numerous studies have reported that catechin, apigenin and luteolin derivatives possess wound-healing properties due to their well-acclaimed anti-inflammatory, angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and antioxidant effects. They have been forecast to influence the wound healing process by expressing biomarkers associated with various pathways, including nuclear factor kappa b (NF-κB), Wnt/β-catenin, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), NF-E2-related factor 2/antioxidant responsive element (Nrf2/ARE) pathways, among others. Importantly, nanotechnology-based formulations such as nanoemulsions and nanogels have demonstrated enhanced targeted delivery of these bioactive extracts, improving their solubility, stability, bioavailability, and site-specific accumulation at the wound bed. The incorporation of nanotechnology in wound care product development thus represents a promising strategy to maximize the therapeutic potential of oil palm leaf phytochemicals. These advancements support the development of precise, next-generation herbal wound care therapies that are both effective and safe. Opportunity and challenges to maximize the exploitation of this leaf are also highlighted at the end of this review.
Mohamad Shazeli Che Zain (Tue,) studied this question.