Background: The rising global burden of liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis, has necessitated innovative therapeutic approaches. Plant-based therapies, recognized for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, have shown promising effects. However, poor bioavailability limits their clinical application.

Aim: To map global research trends, key contributors, and emerging themes in plant-based therapies combined with advanced drug delivery systems for liver health.

Methods: Using the Scopus database, 645 documents were retrieved and analyzed using bibliometric tools Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Analysis focused on publication trends, geographical contributions, and advancements in drug delivery technologies, including nanoparticles, liposomes, and polymeric micelles. Metrics such as publication growth rate, authorship collaboration, and thematic clustering were assessed.

Results: The dataset spans 43 years (1981-2024), with an annual growth rate of 11.09% in the number of publications. Research output is dominated by China (33%), followed by the United States (24%) and India (18%). Collaborative studies accounted for 24.34% of publications, with an average of 5.81 co-authors per document. Key innovations include nanoparticle encapsulation of curcumin and silymarin, improving bioavailability by up to 85%. Highly cited studies demonstrated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic properties of these compounds. For instance, curcumin nanoparticles showed a 70% improvement in solubility, and silymarin liposomal formulations enhanced therapeutic efficiency by 62%. Thematic analysis revealed a transition from basic clinical observations to molecular and pharmacokinetic research, with a focus on oxidative stress mitigation and hepatoprotection.

Conclusion: This study highlights the growing synergy between plant-based therapies and advanced drug delivery systems, with significant contributions from Asian and Western countries. Future efforts should prioritize clinical trials, standardization of plant extract formulations, and interdisciplinary approaches to maximize therapeutic outcomes. The findings provide a foundation for integrating plant-derived compounds into evidence-based hepatological therapies, addressing critical challenges in bioavailability and safety.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Bioavailability; Drug delivery; Hepatoprotection; Liver health; Pharmacokinetics; Plant extracts.

©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

背景： 全球肝脏疾病（如非酒精性脂肪肝病和肝纤维化）的负担日益加重，需要创新的治疗方案。植物疗法因其抗炎和抗氧化特性而被认可，并显示出有希望的效果。然而，低生物利用度限制了其临床应用。

目的： 为了绘制基于植物疗法结合先进药物递送系统在肝脏健康领域的全球研究趋势、关键贡献者以及新兴主题的图谱。

方法： 使用Scopus数据库，通过Biblioshiny和VOSviewer等文献计量工具分析了645篇文档。分析重点在于出版物趋势、地理贡献及药物递送技术（如纳米颗粒、脂质体和聚合胶束）的进步。评估的指标包括出版增长率、作者合作情况以及主题聚类。

结果： 数据集涵盖了43年（1981-2024），每年出版物数量的增长率为11.09%。研究产出主要来自中国（33%）、美国（24%）和印度（18%）。合作研究占总出版物的24.34%，每篇文档平均有5.81位合著者。关键创新包括姜黄素和水飞蓟素的纳米颗粒包封，生物利用度提高了高达85%。高引用的研究展示了这些化合物的抗氧化、抗炎和抗纤维化特性。例如，姜黄素纳米颗粒在溶解性方面提高了70%，而水飞蓟素脂质体制剂将治疗效率提升了62%。主题分析显示从基本临床观察到分子与药代动力学研究的趋势转变，并侧重于氧化应激缓解及肝保护。

结论： 本研究表明，基于植物的疗法和先进药物递送系统之间的协同作用正在增强，亚洲和西方国家贡献显著。未来的工作应该优先考虑临床试验、植物提取物配方标准化以及跨学科方法以最大化治疗效果。该研究为将植物衍生化合物整合到循证肝病学治疗中提供了基础，并解决了生物利用度及安全性方面的关键挑战。

关键词： 文献计量分析；生物利用度；药物递送；肝脏保护；肝脏健康；药代动力学；植物提取物。