Herbal and Obesity in Indonesia and Malaysia: A Bibliometric Analysis

Obesity is a growing global health concern, contributing to a range of chronic diseases. Herbal treatments have gained attention as potential natural remedies for managing obesity due to their bioactive compounds. This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research trends, key contributors, and thematic areas in herbal treatments and obesity from 1988 to 2024. A comprehensive search was conducted in the Scopus database using a combination of keywords related to "herbal medicine" and "obesity." The search was limited to English-language publications and focused on Indonesia and Malaysia. A total of 393 documents were identified and analysed. Bibliometric indicators such as publication growth, co-authorship, citation impact, and co-occurrence of keywords were examined to reveal research trends and key contributors. Network analyses were performed to visualize keyword clusters and author collaborations. The analysis revealed a rapid publication growth after 2010, with an annual growth rate of over 11%. The University of Malaya and the University of Gajah Mada emerged as the leading institutions in publications and citations. Co-authorship patterns highlighted high levels of international collaboration, with an average of 5.74 co-authors per paper. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified key themes, including animal studies, phytochemistry, and human clinical trials. Research on herbal treatments for obesity is expanding rapidly, with strong collaboration and increasing citation impact. Future studies should focus on developing clinical trials, improving methodological rigor, and enhancing cross-regional collaborations to validate the efficacy of herbal remedies in diverse populations.