Citrus Anticancer Research: A Bibliometric Mapping of Emerging Topics

Abstract

Research on the potential anticancer effects of citrus has been widely published in scientific journals. Still, a bibliometric analysis concerning this topic has not been executed. This study employed bibliometric mapping to analyze articles related to citrus anticancer from the Scopus Database and visualized the results using the VOSviewer. In this review, 442 papers published between 1995 and 2023 were selected. Jeju National University in South Korea is recognized as a top contributor. According to the analysis, apoptosis and anticancer are the two specific keywords in the field with the highest co-occurrence. The other keywords in the selected papers were hesperidin, naringenin, nobiletin, apoptosis, and flavonoids. We also found the following steps in this research area: formulation, synthesis, and in vivo preclinical studies. Research trends have shifted from the crude extract to practical applications of specific flavonoid compounds with structure modification to improve their anticancer properties. Still, clinical trials in humans are lacking in this research area and should be further investigated to embrace citrus flavonoids as an anticancer candidate. This analysis and mapping provide a comprehensive understanding of research on the potential anticancer effect of citrus.