Anthocyanins in Cancer Prevention: A Bibliometric Review

Background There is sufficient preclinical evidence that anthocyanins have various anticancer properties. However, a consistent and comprehensive review in this rapidly evolving field is still difficult to obtain. Currently, there is a lack of systematic and quantitative evaluation of its global development. Methods We obtained 2313 relevant articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (2004-2024). We carried out bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R-Bibliometrix package to draw the publication trajectory, collaboration network, and dynamic keyword trend chart. Results In the past more than 20 years, the research achievements have shown a growing trend. The United States has 413 papers and China has 404 papers in the leading position. Top institutions such as Ohio State University and Harvard University belong to knowledge hubs. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is the main place of publication. The research topics have changed, from basic action pathways to complex transformation strategies.Currently, the research focuses on the interaction between anthocyanins and gut bacteria, inflammation regulation, and compound synergy. It is worth mentioning that the rise of “double - blind trials” indicates a shift in the previous evidence - based clinical evaluation. Conclusions This analysis presents the trend of anthocyanins in cancer research. The research results clarify the trends, help find knowledge gaps, and also provide guidance for new directions in the field of cancer chemoprevention.