Medicinal plants from South and Central America are widely used, but the scientific literature remains fragmented and strongly concentrated in laboratory-based studies. This scientometric review mapped research trends and translational gaps for five focal species (Amburana cearensis, Libidibia ferrea, Justicia pectoralis, Lippia origanoides, and Spondias mombin). These species were selected because they combine ethnobotanical relevance, recurrent pharmacological and phytochemical interest, and sufficient representation in the retrieved corpus to support comparative scientometric analysis. Records indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (1991–2024) were analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix within a transparent and reproducible workflow. Evidence was also organized across four domains, chemistry, preclinical, clinical, and safety, to support cross-species synthesis. A total of 183 publications were included. Brazil accounted for more than 60% of the records and concentrated the most productive authors and institutions. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology was the main publication outlet, followed by Industrial Crops and Products, indicating overlap between ethnopharmacological research and application-oriented development. Keyword networks were dominated by Spondias and Lippia, with recurring themes such as antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, and in vitro assays. Across species, preclinical evidence substantially exceeded controlled human studies and systematic safety reporting. Controlled trials were found only for Amburana and Justicia, whereas clinical and safety gaps remained evident for the other species despite the extensive experimental literature. Overall, the field is expanding, but its translational progress remains uneven. Future advances will depend on stronger chemical standardization, mechanism-driven study designs, and better integration of clinical and safety evidence.
Batista et al. (2026) studied this question.