Research Hotspots in Natural Products for Wound Healing: A Bibliometric Analysis and Literature Review

Wound healing is a common chronic disease that has gradually become a significant healthcare burden. The therapeutic potential of natural products in modulating pathological wound healing mechanisms has attracted increasing attention in recent years. A new focus in the field of promoting wound healing has emerged through the study of the mechanism of action of herbs and their derivatives and the translation of the results. This study aims to analyze and summarize the current status, research trends, and hotspots in this field to provide reference and direction for future research.

Literature related to wound healing and natural products in the Web of Science Core Collection was searched and collected. Bibliometric and visualization analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel 2021, bibliometric tools (VOSViewer, Citespace 6.3.R1, and bibliometrix R package), and R 4.3.2.

A total of 2394 publications were included in this study. The annual number of publications has increased in this field year by year. China is the most productive country. Egyptian Knowledge Bank is the most influential research organization in terms of research output. AKKOL EK and LEUNG PC are the most influential authors in this field. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY, MOLECULES, PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH are the most influential journals. Initially, research was focused on keywords such as medicinal plants, oxidative stress, inflammation, antimicrobial activity, and apoptosis. In recent years, new research hotspots have emerged, including pyroptosis, ferroptosis, collagen deposition, and nanodrug delivery.

The study of the relationship between natural products and wound healing has a promising future, and translational research targeting natural products will be the focus of future chronic wound therapy research.