The link between gut microbiome, nutraceuticals, diet, and diabetes mellitus: a bibliometric and visual analysis of research and emerging trends from 2012 to 2022

Abstract

Purpose The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) worldwide is a cause for global concern. Recent evidence suggests that the interaction between one’s diet and the gut microbiome are key modifiers of diabetes, highlighting the potential role of microbiome-modulating nutraceuticals. This bibliometric analysis examines literature published between 2012 and 2022 to explore trends in the latest research, with additional discussion on major takeaways and future directions. Methods We selected and analyzed 640 articles from an initial pool of 4,099 from Web of Science using Microsoft Excel 2016 and VOSviewer software (version 1.6.19). Results Our exploration uncovered the most commonly associated and influential journals, countries, study designs, experimental subjects, types of DM, organisms and nutraceuticals studied, and the most cited articles. We also noted the most cited publications across journals, organizations, and countries, along with the collaborative networks among authors, organizations and countries, and the co-occurrence of author keywords from the selection. Conclusion It is evident from the increasing number of publications each year that this field has attracted growing attention over the last decade. Nonetheless, continued research is essential to sustain this trend. Our overarching study of diabetes research marks steady progress in understanding the role—and potentially discovering applications—microbiome modulation to enhance metabolic pathways and health outcomes. Advancements in this field may lead to potential therapeutic applications for specific diets and nutraceuticals that modulate the gut microbiota in DM.