Scientific Landscape of Plant-Based Fermentation and Probiotics: Insights from a Bibliometric Study
Published:
2026-06-22Downloads
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the development, research trends, and thematic interrelationships of plant-based fermented probiotics through a bibliometric approach. Despite the growing interest in plant-based probiotic products due to their health benefits and sustainability potential, a comprehensive mapping of research trends and thematic structures in this field remains limited. Therefore, this study provides a systematic overview of the scientific landscape of plant-based fermented probiotic research. Data were collected from the Scopus database, covering 256 publications published between 2020 and 2025. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software to examine keyword co-occurrence patterns and identify major research themes. The results revealed [number]keywords that met the inclusion criteria and formed four interconnected research clusters. The blue cluster focuses on food microbiology and fermented beverages, emphasizing the safety, quality, and potential of plant-based fermented products. The green cluster is associated with lactic acid bacteria and functional foods, highlighting nutritional value and sensory characteristics. The red cluster reflects studies on probiotic mechanisms, antimicrobial activity, and fermentation processes, while the yellow cluster explores the relationships among the microbiome, digestion, and human health. Keywords such as “probiotics,” “lactic acid bacteria,” and “probiotic agents” exhibited the highest occurrence frequencies, indicating their central role within the research network. These findings demonstrate that research on plant-based fermented probiotics is increasingly evolving toward a multidisciplinary field that integrates food microbiology, biotechnology, nutrition, and health sciences. This study contributes by identifying key research themes, revealing their interconnections, and highlighting emerging directions for future investigation. The results provide valuable insights for researchers and industry stakeholders in developing innovative probiotic-based functional food products and establishing future research priorities in this rapidly expanding field.
Keywords:
bibliometric analysis functional foods fermented beverages plant-based fermentation probiotics lactic acid bacteria microbiome VOSviewerReferences
[1] Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975.
[2] Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296.
[3] FAO/WHO. (2002). Guidelines for the evaluation of probiotics in food. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
[4] Granato, D., Branco, G. F., Cruz, A. G., Faria, J. A. F., & Shah, N. P. (2010). Probiotic dairy products as functional foods. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 9(5), 455–470.
[5] Hill, C., Guarner, F., Reid, G., Gibson, G. R., Merenstein, D. J., Pot, B., et al. (2014). Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 11(8), 506–514.
[6] Marco, M. L., et al. (2021). Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 70, 147–155.
[7] Marco, M. L., Sanders, M. E., Gänzle, M., Arrieta, M. C., Cotter, P. D., De Vuyst, L., et al. (2021). The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18(3), 196–208.
[8] Min, M., Bunt, C. R., Mason, S. L., & Hussain, M. A. (2019). Non-dairy probiotic food products: An emerging group of functional foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 59(16), 2626–2641.
[9] Sanders, M. E., Merenstein, D. J., Reid, G., Gibson, G. R., & Rastall, R. A. (2019). Probiotics and prebiotics in intestinal health and disease: From biology to the clinic. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 16(10), 605–616.
[10] Seddik, H. A., et al. (2017). Potential role of probiotics in nutrition and health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(17), 3574–3593.
[11] Sethi, S., Tyagi, S. K., & Anurag, R. K. (2016). Plant-based milk alternatives an emerging segment of functional beverages: A review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 53(9), 3408–3423.
[12] Soni, M. G., & Dufresne, C. J. (2023). Trends in plant-based probiotic beverages. Food Research International, 169, 112895.
[13] Tamang, J. P., Cotter, P. D., Endo, A., Han, N. S., Kort, R., Liu, S. Q., et al. (2020). Fermented foods in a global age: East meets West. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 19(1), 184–217.
[14] Valdes, A. M., Walter, J., Segal, E., & Spector, T. D. (2018). Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ, 361, k2179.
[15] Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538.
[16] Waltman, L., Van Eck, N. J., & Noyons, E. C. M. (2010). A unified approach to mapping and clustering of bibliometric networks. Journal of Informetrics, 4(4), 629–635.
[17] Zhang, Z., Zhao, Y., Tian, F., Ross, R. P., Stanton, C., & Chen, W. (2020). Characterization of the microbiota in fermented foods and their potential health benefits. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 101, 1–15.
[18] Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472.
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Shinta Anisya, Ika Listiana, Supriyadi; Triawan Alkausar; Ovi Prasetya Winandari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png)
