Unraveling the Global Research Trajectory of Microalgae Stimulation for Enhanced Production of Bioactive Compounds

Microalgae have emerged as a potential candidate for environmental remediation and as a source of value-added products. Exogenous phytohormone supplementation in microalgae regulates biological processes and induces various signal transduction pathways. This study uses the Scopus database to identify key contributors, advance research areas, and analyze global trends in microalgal cell stimulation for bioactive compound production over 14 years.

Our study started with a search using the keywords "Microalgae," "Phytohormone," "Heavy metal," "Metal tolerance," "Biomass," "Growth," "Pigment," and "Lipid," retrieving studies from the Scopus database published between 2010 and 2024. Bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer and Bibliometrix were employed to analyze and evaluate the obtained documents.

The initial search yielded 283 documents, including research and review articles, and after extensive screening, 217 publications remained for analysis. China stands out as a major contributing country, and the Kunming University of Science and Technology is leading the field. Bioresource Technology and the Journal of Applied Phycology are the top journals in the study domain.

Microalgae demonstrate high efficiency in nutrient removal, heavy metal bioremediation, CO₂ sequestration, and the reduction of emerging contaminants. Advanced multiomics approaches will help mitigate microalgal stress responses and support the design of more effective microalgae-bacteria consortia for wastewater treatment. Researchers should focus on targeted studies of metabolic pathways and genetic regulation in response to environmental stressors.

The present study will be a valuable contribution to the field of microalgal biotechnology and in understanding their relationship with phytohormones for enhancing the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds.