Bibliometric analysis of advances in polysaccharide pharmacology research: A review

Polysaccharide pharmacology has attracted considerable scholarly interest due to its wide range of pharmacological activities, with notable examples such as heparin's anticoagulant mechanisms via antithrombin III interactions and its emerging role in tumor microenvironment modulation. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the literature pertinent to polysaccharide pharmacology, aiming to elucidate key insights within this research field. Utilizing the Web of Science database, we applied bibliometric analysis methods and utilized tools such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer to systematically investigate the current research landscape, hotspots, and developmental trends in polysaccharide pharmacology. This bibliometric study analyzed 2418 Web of Science publications (2006-2024) using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, revealing China, the US, Germany, and India as leading contributors. The identified keywords are categorized into four clusters: (1) "Anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties of polysaccharides," (2) "Multi-omics analysis of polysaccharides," (3) "Pharmacology and bioactivity of natural plants," and (4) "Applications of polysaccharide derivatives." Current research priorities focus on immunomodulation, including dual roles of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as both endotoxins and immunomodulators in vaccine development, anti-tumor activities leveraging heparin's tumor microenvironment regulation, and drug delivery. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of polysaccharide pharmacology, with the objective of advancing mechanistic understanding in foundational research and facilitating clinical translation within this field.