Mitochondrial quality control and intestinal barrier dysfunction in inflammatory bowel disease: knowledge mapping and translational perspectives on traditional Chinese medicine-derived bioactive compounds

Background Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic relapsing intestinal disorder characterized by intestinal barrier dysfunction, gut microbiota dysbiosis, mitochondrial impairment, and mucosal immune imbalance. Mitochondrial quality control links epithelial energy metabolism, oxidative stress, mitophagy, inflammasome activation, and barrier homeostasis. Traditional Chinese medicine-derived bioactive compounds and natural products may provide multi-target regulatory advantages, yet the knowledge structure and translational trajectory remain unclear. Objective This study aimed to map the landscape of mitochondrial quality control and intestinal barrier dysfunction in inflammatory bowel disease and clarify the translational potential of traditional Chinese medicine-derived bioactive compounds and natural products targeting mitochondrial-related mechanisms. Methods Literature was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed from January 1, 2000 to May 31, 2026. A two-stage bibliometric and knowledge-mapping analysis was conducted. Stage 1 focused on mitochondrial quality control and intestinal barrier dysfunction, whereas Stage 2 focused on traditional Chinese medicine-derived bioactive compounds and natural products targeting mitochondrial-related mechanisms. Publication trends, countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and co-cited references were analyzed. Results Stage 1 identified 909 Web of Science Core Collection records and 741 PubMed records, with publication output increasing after 2020 and reaching 198 records in 2025. This field involved 51 countries/regions, 1,128 institutions, and 5,574 authors, with the United States, China, and Germany as leading contributors. Its intellectual base centered on NOD2/CARD15, ATG16L1, autophagy, Paneth cell dysfunction, antimicrobial peptide deficiency, oxidative phosphorylation, gut microbiota, and epithelial defense. Stage 2 expanded rapidly, increasing from 32 records in 2020 to 121 in 2025. This direction involved 42 countries/regions, 592 institutions, and 2,731 authors, with China occupying a dominant position. Research hotspots shifted from pharmacodynamic evaluation and experimental colitis models toward mitophagy, oxidative stress, NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, AMPK/mTOR signaling, SIRT1 activation, gut microbiota regulation, and barrier repair. Conclusion Mitochondrial quality control is becoming a central framework for understanding inflammatory bowel disease. Current hotspots indicate a shift toward an integrated regulatory network involving mitochondria, immune responses, gut microbiota, and intestinal barrier function. Future frontiers should focus on causal validation of mitophagy-related pathways, identification of patient subgroups with abnormal mitochondrial quality control, and development of multi-target interventions to restore mucosal immune balance and barrier homeostasis. Traditional Chinese medicine-derived bioactive compounds and natural products may be valuable because their multi-pathway regulatory properties are consistent with the complex pathobiology of inflammatory bowel disease.