Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 14;31(18):105836.
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  1 , Prashanth A  2 , Arkadeep Dhali  3 , Roshan Prasad  4 , Yogesh S  5 , Khulud Mahmood Nurani  6 , Mihnea-Alexandru Găman  7   8   9
Affiliations

Plant extracts with antioxidant and hepatoprotective benefits for liver health: A bibliometric analysis of drug delivery systems

Gaurav Mittal et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

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

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

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.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Annual scientific production (1981-2024).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Three-field plot showing university affiliations, authors, and research keywords.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Most relevant sources of research.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Country production over time.
Figure 5
Figure 5
World map of country scientific production in liver health, plant extracts, and drug delivery.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Citation statistics of documents. A: Most cited countries; B: Most globally cited documents.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Word clusters and network analysis. A: Word cloud; B: Network analysis of most frequent themes of studies; C: Network analysis of author collaborations; D: Network analysis of frequently used keywords.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Country collaboration map in liver health, plant extracts, and drug delivery research.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Devarbhavi H, Asrani SK, Arab JP, Nartey YA, Pose E, Kamath PS. Global burden of liver disease: 2023 update. J Hepatol. 2023;79:516–537. - PubMed
    1. Cheemerla S, Balakrishnan M. Global Epidemiology of Chronic Liver Disease. Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2021;17:365–370. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Fatty Liver Disease. 2022. Available from: https://liverfoundation.org/about-your-liver/facts-about-liver-disease/f...
    1. Yang JD, Hainaut P, Gores GJ, Amadou A, Plymoth A, Roberts LR. A global view of hepatocellular carcinoma: trends, risk, prevention and management. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019;16:589–604. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Samant H, Amiri HS, Zibari GB. Addressing the worldwide hepatocellular carcinoma: epidemiology, prevention and management. J Gastrointest Oncol. 2021;12:S361–S373. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms