Advancements in the Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Herbal Therapies

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are among the most complicated issues of diabetes mellitus. It can lead to suffering for diabetics because of the risk of amputation and the associated high rates of morbidity in severe cases. There have been significant developments in the use of both modern technology and complementary medicine for the treatment of DFUs. In this review, we will discuss the two recent approaches for the treatment of DFU- artificial intelligence (AI) and herbal therapies. With creation of more advanced ways to diagnose DFU and using AI to assist for early detection, the science of DFU management has changed. There are several different types of machine learning models, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which have proven to be effective for classifying DFU and predicting outcomes for individuals diagnosed with DFU and analyzing the outcomes for individuals suffering with DFU as determined by severity of ulceration. Additionally, AI based approaches allow for DFU detection through remote monitoring. Herbal therapies have become popular for enhancing wound healing because of phytochemical compounds found in Curcuma longa (turmeric), Allium sativum (garlic), and Calendula officinalis (calendula). Phytochemicals components of these herbs exhibit antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties, which can stimulate tissue repair and lower infection risks. In general, integrating AI with herbal therapy offers a comprehensive approach to DFU management due to both objectivity of AI and low costs of herbs. Although AI provides objective information for clinical decision, herbal remedies provide cost effective alternatives to patient. Future studies should focus on clinical trials that assess the effectiveness and safety of both methods to develop standard treatments.