Mapping the Research Landscape of Pleurotus Mushrooms in Nutritional and Pharmacological Applications: A Bibliometric Analysis (2016–2025)

Pleurotus spp. (oyster mushrooms) have been widely studied for their nutritional and reported bioactive properties, but global research patterns over the past decade have not been systematically examined. This study analyzed 1,339 Web of Science publications (2016-2025) using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Results revealed sustained growth with China leading in publications (410) and citations (8,967), whereas European countries achieved superior impact (Spain: 24.85, Italy: 24.65 citations/article). Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed five major thematic clusters: (1) nutrition- and application-focused studies related to functional foods, nutraceuticals, and bioactive compounds; (2) polysaccharide-based pharmacological research addressing anticancer activity, apoptosis, cytotoxicity, and immunomodulation; (3) studies on bioactive properties, particularly antioxidant, antimicrobial, and phenolic-related activities; (4) species-specific research linking nutritional and metabolic health, including gut microbiota, obesity, and ergothioneine; and (5) Pleurotus ostreatus as a frequently studied species connecting nutritional, antioxidant, polysaccharide, and pharmacological domains. Despite the growth of the field, limitations remain, including limited clinical validation and underutilization of systems-level analytical approaches. Future research should emphasize well-designed clinical studies and mechanistic investigations to support the development of Pleurotus-based nutritional and therapeutic applications.