Exogenous Nucleotides as Functional Food Supplements: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends (2000-2025)

Background: Exogenous nucleotides are bioactive compounds involved in nucleic acid synthesis, cellular metabolism, intestinal function, immune regulation, and related physiological processes. Owing to their potential roles in supporting growth, gut health, immune function, metabolic regulation, and physiological resilience, they have attracted increasing attention as functional dietary supplements and feed additives. However, the global research landscape of exogenous nucleotides has not been systematically characterized. This study aimed to map the development of this field and identify its major contributors, knowledge structures, application domains, and emerging research hotspots. Methods: Global literature on exogenous nucleotides published between 2000 and 2025 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. After screening and data standardization, 710 records were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R-based visualization tools. The bibliometric analysis included publication output, country and institutional collaboration, keyword co-occurrence, co-cited references and journals, and citation burst detection. Results: A total of 710 publications were included. Annual publication output showed an overall upward trend, with marked growth after 2017. China and the United States were the leading contributors, while the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University were among the most productive institutions. Keyword and co-citation analyses identified three major research themes: basic molecular mechanisms, physiological and health-related effects, and practical applications. Aquaculture and animal nutrition represented the most prominent application areas, with studies mainly focusing on growth performance, feed utilization, intestinal morphology, immune responses, oxidative stress resistance, and disease resistance. In human nutrition, research was mainly related to infant nutrition, intestinal and immune health, nutritional recovery, metabolic regulation, and healthy aging. Burst detection indicated a shift in research attention from early topics such as human milk and receptors to intestinal morphology and, more recently, nicotinamide mononucleotide and molecular activation. Conclusions: Research on exogenous nucleotides has expanded rapidly and is moving toward more mechanism-oriented and more diverse applications. Current evidence suggests that exogenous nucleotides have potential value as functional dietary supplements and feed additives, particularly in aquaculture, animal nutrition, infant nutrition, gut and immune health, metabolic regulation, and healthy aging. Future studies should further clarify compound-specific mechanisms, effective dose ranges, bioavailability, long-term safety, and population- or species-specific benefits to support their evidence-based application in functional foods, dietary supplements, infant formula, clinical nutrition, and functional feed products.