Global Research Trends in Centella asiatica for Cosmetic and Skin-Related Applications: A Bibliometric Analysis A Bibliometric Analysis
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Abstract
Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. has attracted considerable scientific interest because of its effects on wound repair, inflammation, antioxidant activity, collagen formation, scar formation, skin barrier function, and skin aging. In the current study, a bibliometric mapping approach was applied to investigate global research activity on C. asiatica in cosmetic and skin-related applications. The initial search generated 562 records from January 1, 2000, to March 31, 2026. The dataset was then restricted to English-language articles indexed in Scopus, resulting in 350 records. Through manual screening of the titles and abstracts, we noted that 27 review-like papers were incorrectly classified as articles, leading to a final corpus of 323 original research articles. Bibliometric analysis was used to evaluate publication trends, including top journals, authors, institutions and countries, along with citation networks, collaboration patterns, keyword clusters and evolution. The dataset included 7,032 citations (mean: 21.77 citations/article). The number of publications during the study period increased markedly and peaked in 2025, with 61 publications. Most research papers were produced in China, Thailand and India. The main themes were wound healing, asiaticoside, madecassoside, collagen, hydrogel systems, and skin barrier integrity. Studies on C. asiatica continue to focus on two major topics related to either therapeutic skin repair or mechanistic biology. However, while less developed, clinically based cosmetic applications are becoming better represented.
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