Global trends and hotspots of gastrointestinal microbiome and toxicity based on bibliometrics

Jiajia Duan; Chuanxin Liu; Xiaoyang Bai; Xiaoying Zhao; Tao Jiang

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1231372

Global trends and hotspots of gastrointestinal microbiome and toxicity based on bibliometrics

Front Microbiol. 2023 Jul 31:14:1231372. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1231372. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jiajia Duan^#¹, Chuanxin Liu^#², Xiaoyang Bai³, Xiaoying Zhao⁴, Tao Jiang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
² Medical Key Laboratory of Hereditary Rare Diseases of Henan, Luoyang Sub-Center of National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Endocrine and Metabolic Disease Center, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
³ Department of Medical Equipment, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
⁴ The Second Ward of Department of Digestive Oncology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Luoyang, Luoyang, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Toxicity concerns persist in the fields of public health, environmental science, and pharmacology. The intricate and vital role of the gastrointestinal microbiome in influencing toxicity and overall human health has gained increasing recognition in recent years. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to evaluate the global scientific output, emerging trends, and research focal points in the area of gastrointestinal microbiome and toxicity.

Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection database was retrieved for publications on the gastrointestinal microbiome and toxicity from 1980 to 2022. Our analysis included scholarly research papers written in English and excluded duplicate publications. We used Biblioshiny and R to summarize the count and citation metrics of included articles, and visualized research trends and keywords. CiteSpace was used to identify reference literature, keywords, and citation bursts. VOSviewer was used to visualize the network of related countries, institutions, authors, co-cited authors, and keywords.

Results: A total of 2,140 articles were included, allowing us to identify significant countries, institutions, authors, and research focal points. Our results indicate a growing trend in the field, with China and the United States leading the research. The most productive journal in this area is Science of the Total Environment. Key findings revealed that research hotspots have shifted from drugs to environmental pollutants, emphasizing microplastics. Important mechanisms studied include oxidative stress, metabolism, inflammation, and apoptosis, with target organs being the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and brain. Furthermore, we highlight the rising significance of the gut-brain axis and the usage of zebrafish as a model organism.

Conclusion: Despite certain limitations, such as focusing solely on English-language publications and excluding unpublished literature, our findings provide valuable insights into the current state of research on toxicity and the gastrointestinal microbiome. In the future, modifications to the gastrointestinal microbiome could offer new directions for treating and mitigating toxicity. These discoveries provide a comprehensive perspective on the broader scope of this research field.

Keywords: CiteSpace; VOSviewer; bibliometrics; gastrointestinal microbiome; toxicity.

Grants and funding

This project was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province of China (Grant No. 232300420266) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82204938).