Why do we need more research on pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr.)? A discussion based on a bibliometric review

Abstract

Pineapple is the most exported tropical fruit in the world in terms of volume. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the scientific publications on pineapple, with an emphasis on the agricultural sciences. 7,885 documents published between 1893 and 2022 (February 22nd), 2,350 of which belonged to the agricultural sciences, were retrieved from the Scopus-indexed database to be analyzed using the word pineapple. VOSviewer software was used for a bibliometric network analysis using author keyword mapping. 78.2% of the documents were articles, with an increase in the volume of publications over time. The scientists were from 138 countries, with India, the United States, and Brazil accumulating 36.2% of the total number. The research has focused on topics such as chemistry, food technology (primarily juice), the use of pineapple as a medicinal plant, and the clinical benefits of its main enzyme (bromelain). Scientists in the chemical field reported more research than in the agricultural and biological areas due to the properties of the fruit. Our results indicate that few studies focus on rural extension or technology transfer to growers. More efforts should be made to help local pineapple growers improve their yields and attain a sustainable and more environmentally friendly approach to the production of this fruit.