Trends in Ilex paraguariensis researches: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Yerba-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil) is a perennial South American plant widely investigated due to its effects on human health and chemical composition. Due to the presence of high levels of methylxanthines, phenolic compounds and saponins, yerba-mate is attractive under chemical and pharmacological aspects. Yerba-mate leaves are processed for the consumption of traditional beverages with a social, cultural and economic importance. Results Totally, 839 publications on the topic yerba-mate were identified in the Web of Science database, accumulating 15,365 citations with an h-index = 55. A text-based analysis of the abstract articles identified three main research fields: plant science, chemical composition and biological effects. These publications were distributed in 378 journals and involved the efforts of 3169 authors distributed in 48 countries and 681 organizations. Conclusion The results reported here are a first graphic overview of the yerba-mate scientific production considering the research areas, journals citation coupling and cooperation among countries, organizations and authors.