Research Advances of Carica papaya in Agriculture, Food Science, and Bioactive Compounds: A Bibliometric Study

Studies on Carica papaya have focused on addressing challenges in cultivation, postharvest management, and its medicinal properties. Given the extensive volume of information produced, a quantitative analysis is required to clarify the intellectual framework of C. papaya research. This study aims to delineate the scientific landscape of C. papaya, identify research trends in agriculture and food science, and analyze correlations between secondary metabolites and bioactivities using bibliometric analysis. Our analysis examined 6546 documents from 1737 journals, consisting of 6076 articles, 379 reviews, and 91 conference papers. The United States, India, Brazil, and China lead scientific production and maintain robust international partnerships. The main research domains were applied sciences (40.9%), analytical studies (36.6%), and experimental research (16.9%), with topics including postharvest quality, disease resistance, genomic sequencing, and biological activities. A co-occurrence analysis revealed an association between polar leaf extracts and phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which are linked to antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was the most frequent finding (945 articles). In conclusion, scientific knowledge of C. papaya primarily comprises studies on the plant genome, crop diseases, and bioactive compounds. Research highlights the plant as a valuable resource for sustainable agriculture, specifically its leaves as a source of novel phytopharmaceuticals.