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Global and Current Research Trends of Single-Cell Sequencing in Cancer: A Bibliometric and Visualization Study
Published on: April 18, 2025
A bibliometric and critical trend analysis of the anti-cancer potential of Withania somnifera during 2000-2024
Lal Hingorani1, Manolina Karmakar1, Souvik Mukherjee2
1Department of New Product and Process Development, Pharmanza Herbal Pvt. Ltd., Anand, Gujarat, 388430, India.
Abstract:
Cancer remains among the most common causes of mortality and morbidity globally. For millennia, people have utilized herbal medicine for the treatment of various illnesses, including cancer. Multiple research investigations have demonstrated that Withania somnifera possesses significant anti-cancer potential by targeting multiple cancer signalling pathways. Currently, many articles are published regarding Withania somnifera as an anti-cancer agent; however, no SCOPUS-based bibliometric study encompassing a critical analysis of research trends on the subject has been conducted thus far. This review study provides a concise overview of 272 articles published between 2000 and 2024, focusing on research trends and bibliometric studies of anti-cancer properties of Withania somnifera. The article is structured into two main sections. The first section explores global trends, performance analysis metrics, and citation-related metrics. The final section presents a bibliometric evaluation of the research. Data were retrieved from SCOPUS using specific keywords and then manually curated to eliminate duplicates. VOS viewer (version 1.6.20) and Microsoft Excel 2019 were utilized for data visualization. The output of publications about this subject domain reached its peak in 2024. Academia and industry collaborated to publish 2.20% of the articles. The USA (125), India (112), the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh (25), the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (25), Withania somnifera (124), and Renu Wadhwa (24) were the most prolific entities in terms of country, institution, publisher, keyword, and author. Withaferin A (47) was the most utilized bioactive compound against cancer, particularly breast cancer (15 studies). Despite the advantageous anti-cancer attributes of Withania somnifera, there remains a deficiency in areas such as clinical data, pharmacokinetic characteristics, safety and toxicity assessments, and effective formulations, which impedes the progression of this potent natural product into clinical development.
Insights
This bibliometric study analyzes 272 articles on Withania somnifera
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Natural Products Research
- Bibliometrics and Scientometrics
Background:
- Cancer is a leading global cause of mortality.
- Herbal medicine, including Withania somnifera, shows anti-cancer potential.
- Research on Withania somnifera's anti-cancer properties is growing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a SCOPUS-based bibliometric analysis of Withania somnifera's anti-cancer research.
- To identify global research trends, prolific contributors, and key findings.
- To highlight research gaps hindering clinical development.
Main Methods:
- Systematic retrieval of 272 articles from SCOPUS (2000-2024).
- Manual curation to remove duplicates.
- Data visualization using VOS viewer and Microsoft Excel.
Main Results:
- Publication output peaked in 2024, with the USA and India as leading countries.
- The University of Pittsburgh and Journal of Ethnopharmacology were prominent institutions and publishers.
- Withania somnifera was a key term, and Withaferin A was the most studied compound, particularly for breast cancer.
Conclusions:
- Withania somnifera exhibits significant anti-cancer potential, targeting multiple pathways.
- Research is dominated by preclinical studies, with limited clinical data, pharmacokinetics, and safety assessments.
- Further research is needed to address these gaps for clinical translation.
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