Bibliometric Analysis of the Literature on Natural Medicines Against Acute Kidney Injury from 2010 to 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66288/actamedi.2026.82Keywords:
acute kidney injury, natural medicine, herbal medicine, ; phytochemicals, bibliometric analysisAbstract
Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major clinical condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Recent research has increasingly explored natural medicines, including herbal preparations, phytochemicals, and other natural products, as potential preventive or therapeutic agents for AKI. KDIGO continues to define AKI within the broader continuum of acute kidney disorders, and this topic remains clinically important.
Objective: This study aimed to map the global research landscape on natural medicines against AKI from 2010 to 2024 using bibliometric methods.
Methods: A bibliometric analysis was designed using records retrieved from a major citation database such as Web of Science Core Collection or Scopus. The search combined terms related to AKI and natural medicines. Only articles and reviews published in English between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2024 were included. Data cleaning and performance analysis were planned using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny, while network visualization of co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence was planned using VOSviewer. Reporting was guided by current recommendations for bibliometric reviews.
Results: The analysis was expected to identify annual publication growth, the most productive countries, institutions, authors, journals, and the main thematic clusters in the field. Based on recent narrative and systematic reviews, likely hotspots include oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, ischemia–reperfusion injury, cisplatin nephrotoxicity, sepsis-associated AKI, and phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, berberine, and baicalin.
Conclusions: This bibliometric framework can clarify the intellectual structure and emerging trends of natural-medicine research in AKI and may help identify leading contributors, collaboration gaps, and promising translational directions. However, future work should distinguish preclinical dominance from genuine clinical evidence, since kidney experts also caution that some herbal and dietary supplements may themselves contribute to kidney injury.
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