Scientometrics
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 14, 2025; 31(18): 105836
Published online May 14, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i18.105836
Plant extracts with antioxidant and hepatoprotective benefits for liver health: A bibliometric analysis of drug delivery systems
Gaurav Mittal, Prashanth A, Arkadeep Dhali, Roshan Prasad, Yogesh S, Khulud Mahmood Nurani, Mihnea-Alexandru Găman
Gaurav Mittal, MBBS Final Year StudentMahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Maharashtra 442102, India
Prashanth A, Department of Physiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Maharashtra 442102, India
Arkadeep Dhali, Academic Unit of Gastroenterology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S5 7AU, United Kingdom
Roshan Prasad, Department of Medicine, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi 442107, India
Yogesh S, Department of Medicine, Madras Medical College, Chennai 600003, India
Khulud Mahmood Nurani, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 30197-00100, Kenya
Mihnea-Alexandru Găman, Faculty of Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 050474, Romania
Mihnea-Alexandru Găman, Department of Hematology, Centre of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest 022328, Romania
Mihnea-Alexandru Găman, Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest 010001, Romania
Co-first authors: Gaurav Mittal and Prashanth A.
Author contributions: Mittal G, A P, Dhali A, Prasad R, S Y, Găman MA designed the research; Mittal G, A P, Dhali A, Prasad R, Nurani KM performed the research; Mittal G, A P, Nurani KM contributed to analytic tools/analysis; Mittal G, A P, Nurani KM analyzed data; Mittal G, A P, Dhali A, Prasad R, S Y, Găman MA wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final version of this paper. Mittal G and A P contributed equally to this work as co-first authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Khulud Mahmood Nurani, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 30197-00100, Kenya. khuludnurani@gmail.com
Received: February 10, 2025
Revised: March 7, 2025
Accepted: April 21, 2025
Published online: May 14, 2025
Processing time: 93 Days and 15.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The rising global burden of liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis, has necessitated innovative therapeutic approaches. Plant-based therapies, recognized for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, have shown promising effects. However, poor bioavailability limits their clinical application.

AIM

To map global research trends, key contributors, and emerging themes in plant-based therapies combined with advanced drug delivery systems for liver health.

METHODS

Using the Scopus database, 645 documents were retrieved and analyzed using bibliometric tools Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Analysis focused on publication trends, geographical contributions, and advancements in drug delivery technologies, including nanoparticles, liposomes, and polymeric micelles. Metrics such as publication growth rate, authorship collaboration, and thematic clustering were assessed.

RESULTS

The dataset spans 43 years (1981-2024), with an annual growth rate of 11.09% in the number of publications. Research output is dominated by China (33%), followed by the United States (24%) and India (18%). Collaborative studies accounted for 24.34% of publications, with an average of 5.81 co-authors per document. Key innovations include nanoparticle encapsulation of curcumin and silymarin, improving bioavailability by up to 85%. Highly cited studies demonstrated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic properties of these compounds. For instance, curcumin nanoparticles showed a 70% improvement in solubility, and silymarin liposomal formulations enhanced therapeutic efficiency by 62%. Thematic analysis revealed a transition from basic clinical observations to molecular and pharmacokinetic research, with a focus on oxidative stress mitigation and hepatoprotection.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the growing synergy between plant-based therapies and advanced drug delivery systems, with significant contributions from Asian and Western countries. Future efforts should prioritize clinical trials, standardization of plant extract formulations, and interdisciplinary approaches to maximize therapeutic outcomes. The findings provide a foundation for integrating plant-derived compounds into evidence-based hepatological therapies, addressing critical challenges in bioavailability and safety.

Keywords: Liver health; Plant extracts; Drug delivery; Pharmacokinetics; Hepatoprotection; Bioavailability; Bibliometric analysis

Core Tip: The increasing prevalence of liver diseases requires innovative treatments. This bibliometric study maps global research on plant-based therapies integrated with advanced drug delivery systems, analyzing 645 publications from 1981 to 2024. Key innovations, such as curcumin and silymarin nanoparticle encapsulation, significantly enhance bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. The study highlights global research trends, major contributors, and evolving themes in hepatoprotection. Findings emphasize the need for clinical trials and standardization to bridge the gap between experimental research and clinical application, advancing plant-derived therapies for liver health.