Lignin-alginate hydrogels for advanced wound dressings: antioxidant, antimicrobial, and biocompatible platforms

Chronic wounds remain as a major clinical and economic challenge, requiring advanced materials that can both support tissue regeneration and effectively prevent infection. Alginate-based dressings are widely used due to their excellent biocompatibility, high absorbency, and gel-forming ability, which help maintain a moist environment favorable for healing. However, these systems inherently lack strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In this context, the incorporation of lignin, a naturally abundant and phenolic-rich biopolymer, offers a promising strategy to overcome these limitations by introducing intrinsic radical scavenging activity, enhanced antibacterial performance, and improved mechanical strength. In this review, we provide a focused and comprehensive overview of lignin-alginate hydrogels as multifunctional wound dressing materials. Unlike previous reviews that discuss lignin- or alginate-based systems individually, this work specifically emphasizes their synergistic integration and the resulting enhancements in hydrogel performance. We first outline the fundamental properties of hydrogels that make them suitable for wound healing applications, followed by detailed discussions on the individual characteristics of alginate and lignin. Furthermore, recent advances in formulation strategies, crosslinking approaches, and multifunctional design are critically discussed, with a focus on improving mechanical stability, exudate management, and controlled therapeutic release. Finally, key challenges related to reproducibility, large-scale production, and clinical translation are highlighted, along with future perspectives emphasizing sustainability and personalized wound care. According to these data, lignin-alginate hydrogels could be considered as a promising next-generation platform for developing sustainable, effective, and multifunctional wound dressing systems. Graphical abstract