Bibliometric Analysis of Curcumin Based on CiteSpace: Landscapes, Hotspots, and Frontiers

Curcumin, the main active compound in turmeric, has garnered significant interest for its wide range of pharmacological properties. In this study, CiteSpace was used to visually analyze curcumin-related publications to elucidate the current landscape and explore emerging frontiers in curcumin research. In total, 23,184 publications on curcumin from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2023, were scrutinized. The analysis revealed that publication volume consistently increased over time. The top 10 countries contributed 90.87% of the publications, highlighting the global significance of curcumin research. China generated 31.34% of the total corpus due to its strong research capabilities and traditional medicine culture. The top 10 institutions contributed 11.21% of the articles, revealing notable collaborations. Among the prolific authors, Amirhossein Sahebkar produced 246 publications, whereas Preetha Anand garnered the most citations. Keyword analysis revealed prevalent trends such as "fabrication", "combination", "extract", "natural products", "colorectal cancer", and "resveratrol". Reference analysis emphasized research on therapeutic and modulatory effects, anticancer potential, and interdisciplinary topics, such as molecular biology, chemistry, and nutrition. More importantly, we simplified cluster relationships by selecting the top 30% of cluster dependency paths. For instance, the references within the #1 polymeric micelle cite literature from the #2 anticancer potential, #3 modulatory effect, and #4 therapeutic effect, indicating that clusters 2, 3, and 4 serve as knowledge foundations for cluster 1. This interconnectedness highlights how the information in these clusters can contribute to the knowledge of curcumin in various studies. This study provides an overview of the research trends and critical themes related to curcumin, offering insights for future research directions and emphasizing the interdisciplinary and global scope of curcumin research.