Clinical and toxicological trends in mad honey research

Background: Honey derived from the nectar of Rhododendron species, known as “mad honey,” possesses unique pharmacological and toxicological properties due to its grayanotoxin content. Prior investigations have largely comprised case reports and experimental studies, lacking a comprehensive overview of broader scientific trends. The present study addresses this gap by providing the first bibliometric analysis of the historical development, thematic directions, and scientific structure of the “mad honey” literature published between 1954 and 2025. Methods: Data for this retrospective bibliometric analysis were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database in January 2026. The search strategy used the keywords “mad honey,” “grayanotoxin,” “andromedotoxin,” “rhodotoxin,” and “asebotoxin,” encompassing publications from 1954 to 2025, with no language restrictions. Results: During the study period, 388 publications were identified across 214 journals, reflecting an annual growth rate of 1.65%. A total of 1253 authors contributed, with an average of 18.57 citations per publication. Country-level analysis revealed that Türkiye leads globally in both publication volume and citation impact, followed by the United States, China, and Japan. Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates that the mad honey literature has evolved from local case reports toward global clinical research and potential therapeutic applications. Research on mad honey has expanded globally since 2010, with Türkiye leading clinical data and diagnostic protocols. Future studies should shift focus from poisoning cases toward therapeutic potential, product standardization, and safe dosage parameters.