GLOBAL RESEARCH TRENDS ON HERBAL-BASED NUTRITION FOR STUNTING PREVENTION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

Stunting remains a major global public health challenge that requires effective preventive strategies based on adequate nutrition and functional foods. This study aims to map global research trends, thematic structures, and emerging directions related to the use of herbal-based nutrition for stunting prevention through a bibliometric approach. Bibliographic data were retrieved from the Scopus database in November 2025, covering English-language articles and reviews published between 2000 and 2024. A total of 531 documents were analyzed using descriptive bibliometric methods and network visualization techniques. Keyword and term co-occurrence analyses were conducted using VOSviewer, resulting in the identification of 75 frequently occurring terms grouped into four major thematic clusters. The dominant research themes were associated with nutrition, functional foods, medicinal plants, and bioactive compounds, with Moringa oleifera emerging as one of the most recurrent and recent research topics. Overlay visualization further revealed a temporal shift in research focus from general malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies toward the exploration of specific bioactive compounds, micronutrients, and alternative food sources. Overall, the findings indicate that research on stunting prevention has evolved toward more diversified and bioactivity-oriented approaches. This bibliometric mapping provides a foundation for future research and supports the development of locally based functional food interventions aimed at reducing stunting prevalence. Malnutrition and severe food insecurity are the underlying causes of stunting, and exacerbating hunger when food is scarce is harmful. Although some herbs can provide micronutrients, without a regular nutrient-rich diet, they are impotent.