Published online Sep 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i26.6132
Peer-review started: June 3, 2023
First decision: August 5, 2023
Revised: August 12, 2023
Accepted: August 18, 2023
Article in press: August 18, 2023
Published online: September 16, 2023
Processing time: 96 Days and 21.7 Hours
The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in gastrointestinal and overall health. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge and evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic interventions targeting the gut microbiota.
To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on RCTs involving the gut microbiota.
Using bibliometric tools, a descriptive cross-sectional investigation was conducted on scholarly publications concentrated on RCTs related to gut microbiota, spanning the years 2003 to 2022. The study used VOSviewer version 1.6.9 to examine collaboration networks between different countries and evaluate the frequently employed terms in the titles and abstracts of the retrieved publications. The primary objective of this analysis was to identify key research areas and focal points associated with RCTs involving the gut microbiota.
A total of 1061 relevant articles were identified from the 24758 research articles published between 2003 and 2022. The number of publications showed a notable increase over time, with a positive correlation (R2 = 0.978, P < 0.001). China (n = 276, 26.01%), the United States (n = 254, 23.94%), and the United Kingdom (n = 97, 9.14%) were the leading contributing countries. Københavns Universitet (n = 38, 3.58%) and Dankook University (n = 35, 3.30%) were the top active institutions. The co-occurrence analysis shows current gut microbiota research trends and important topics, such as obesity interventions targeting the gut microbiota, the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation, and the effects of dietary interventions on humans.
The study highlights the rapid growth and importance of research on RCTs that involve the gut microbiota. This study provides valuable insight into research trends, identifies key players, and outlines potential future directions in this field. Additionally, the co-occurrence analysis identified important topics that play a critical role in the advancement of science and provided insights into future research directions in this field.
Core Tip: This bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights into the growing research on randomized clinical trials (RCTs) involving the gut microbiota. The study identifies key research areas, prominent contributors, and collaboration networks. The analysis reveals that interventions targeting the gut microbiota for managing obesity, fecal microbiota transplantation, and the impact of diet interventions on the gut microbiota are important focal points. The study underscores the significance of RCTs in understanding the gut microbiota and offers directions for future research in this field.