Kangjie Li,1,* Chongbo Zhao,1– 3,* Ming Dang,1 Runxin Ren,1 Maomao Fu,1 Yaya Bai,1 Jing Wang,1,2 Qiao Zhang,1 Fei Luan1 

1School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi’an, 712046, People’s Republic of China; 2Shaanxi Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction Pieces, Xi’an, 712046, People’s Republic of China; 3Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing Technology Heritage Base, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi’an, 712046, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Fei Luan, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1, Shiji Avenue, Xi Xian New Distracts, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, 712046, People’s Republic of China, Email 2051145@sntcm.edu.cn

Purpose: This bibliometric study aims to comprehensively analyze the research landscape of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) from 2003 to 2024, identifying key research areas, trends, and patterns, as well as the roles of major countries and institutions in advancing the field.
Methods: A quantitative analysis of literature pertaining to Maca was performed utilizing the bibliometric tools VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R Bibliometrix. This analysis encompassed an examination of publication frequency, author collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns.
Results: The number of published studies on Maca has increased every year since it was studied, with China, Peru, and the United States being the leading countries studied. Research focuses on pharmacology (hormone regulation, antioxidant effects), nutrition (nutrient composition), phytochemistry (bioactive compounds) and agriculture (cultivation techniques). An important feature of Maca research is international collaboration, including researchers from Asia, Europe, South America, and other regions. Keywords such as “maca”, “nutritional composition” and “pharmacological action” are particularly prominent. The study of maca polysaccharides has become a focus area, showing potential in various aspects of health such as immunity and anti-tumor effect.
Conclusion: Maca research is growing, with international collaboration crucial. Future research should explore Maca’s biological mechanisms deeper, especially those of Maca polysaccharide, and enhance cross-country research comparisons. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of Maca research trends, guiding further investigations.

Keywords: Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.), bibliometrics, trends, literature analysis, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, R bibliometrix