A biometric analysis of research advances in polysaccharides from genus Schisandra: Extraction, structural...

Genus Schisandra polysaccharides (GSPs), with Schisandra chinensis polysaccharides (SCPs) as the representative, are recognized as principal bioactive constituents derived from Schisandra spp., exhibit diverse biological activities, encompassing antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anti-fatigue effects. These properties have garnered significant research interest globally in recent years. To systematically review the hot topics and development trends in GSPs research, this paper screened and analyzed a total of 147 relevant publications from the WOS database. Using CiteSpace software, keyword co-occurrence maps and burst detection maps were constructed to reveal the focal themes and dynamic evolution pathways within the research field. The results demonstrate that international researchers have reached a broad consensus on the pharmacological effects of GSPs, which are mainly attributed to antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulatory mechanisms. Research focus has shifted from the isolation and identification of crude components toward in-depth mechanistic investigations and application-oriented optimization. On the basis of current research progress, this review systematically summarizes the extraction and isolation, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities, structure-activity relationships, quality control, and application development of GSPs, aiming to provide theoretical support and practical references for the in-depth understanding and industrial utilization of GSPs.