Dendrobium and Orchidaceae Plants in Dermatology: A PubMed-Based Bibliometric Analysis and Mechanistic Overview

Dendrobium ("Shihu") and other Orchidaceae plants have been investigated as adjunctive options for inflammatory dermatoses, wound repair, and topical skin care. However, clinically relevant evidence and safety information remain scattered across phytochemistry, experimental dermatology, biomaterials, and formulation science. This study used bibliometric methods to map publication patterns and identify themes most closely related to dermatologic mechanisms and safety reporting.

PubMed was searched on January 19, 2026 using a reproducible query that combined Orchidaceae/Dendrobium terms with dermatology and clinical/safety concepts. Records indexed from January 1, 2006 to January 19, 2026 were exported in MEDLINE format and analyzed in R with bibliometrix (v4.3.0) to summarize annual output, contributions by countries and institutions, collaboration networks, source journals, author productivity, and term co-occurrence with burst detection.

The final dataset contained 103 records. Annual output increased over time and peaked in 2025 (n=24). China contributed the largest share of publications and occupied a central position in international co-authorship networks. The literature was distributed across 64 journals and covered constituent characterization, experimental models, and delivery/materials-oriented studies. Recent term evolution highlighted growing attention to oxidative stress, signal transduction, and wound repair, whereas safety-related terminology appeared less frequently.

Research on Orchidaceae-derived constituents relevant to dermatology is expanding, but clinically oriented evidence remains limited and reporting is heterogeneous, particularly with respect to botanical authentication, extract/formulation characterization, clinically interpretable endpoints, and adverse-event documentation. Better clinical translation will require transparent composition reporting and prospective studies that combine mechanism-linked biomarkers with systematic safety assessment.