Global trend in research conducted on crotamine: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the multifunctionality of the crotamine (CTA) peptide, highlighting the need to elucidate research topics and promotes cooperation among publications, authors, countries, and funding agencies. A bibliometric analysis was carried out to gain insights into the scientific production of CTA, with Brazil emerging as a leader in authorship and funding for publications. This study aims to provide a comprehensive view of the publications related to CTA, distill the most critical research topics, and highlight pertinent issues to help researchers integrate new concepts into their studies. The Web of Science database was used to search for publications related to CTA toxin, and the VOS Viewer software was employed for bibliometric and visual analysis of countries/regions, authors, keywords, and funding agencies. 239 publications were identified using the term "crotamine" and 176 were selected based on the search criteria. The most significant publications are in Toxicology, Pharmacology, and Molecular Biology. Notable funding agencies include CNPq, FAPESP, and CAPES. The keywords "toxin", "venom", and "protein" emerged as the most common terms, indicating their importance in current research and their potential for continuous progression. The research recorded substantial growth in the last decade given the versatility of CTA, and the number of documents is expected to increase. To further explore and take advantage of the valuable features of this polypeptide, it is crucial to strengthen cooperation between countries and researchers.