Bibliometric and visual analysis of research on animal skin microbiome based on Web of Science

Abstract:

[Background] The balance between skin microbiome and animals is crucial for the health of the hosts. Skin microbiome affects the metabolic and immune processes of the host, endowing the host with specific physiological functions. Changes in the structure and function of the skin can affect the composition of the skin microbiome. [Objective] To explore the research progress, frontiers, and prospects in animal skin microbiome and shed light on the future research by visual analysis of articles in the field published during 2009–2023. [Methods] We employed CiteSpace to visually analyze the articles about animal skin microbiome published in the Web of Science (WOS) core collection from three aspects: research progress, main research strength, and research hotspots and frontiers. [Results] Since 2012, the annual number of publications in animal skin microbiome has risen with fluctuations, indicating that research in this field has been deepening and advancing. The research in this field has expanded from the basic discipline microbiology to interdisciplinary fields. Globally, the United States had the most prominent research strength in this field, forming a collaborative network centered on universities. China ranked third in the world in terms of publications, demonstrating unique status and significant contributions. The available studies in this field mainly focused on Bartrachochytrium dendrobatidis, chytridiomycosis, skin bacteria, skin fungi, etc., and often took gut microbiota into account. [Conclusion] The research on animal skin microbiome is still experiencing rapid development and has giant research potential. Classic topics such as microbial diversity, skin diseases, host health, and immune defense will still be key research directions in the future.