Thematic structure and temporal evolution of research on agave utilization: A bibliometric analysis
Thematic structure and temporal evolution of research on agave utilization: A bibliometric analysis
Keywords:
Biomasa lignocelulósica, biorrefinería, fermentación, bioenergía, valoración de residuosAbstract
The genus Agave has historical, cultural, and agroindustrial relevance, while the utilization of its products and by-products has gained attention because of their energy, biotechnological, food, and material applications. This study aimed to analyze the scientific literature indexed in Scopus on the utilization of agave products and by-products through a keyword co-occurrence network to identify the main thematic lines and their temporal trends. The database consisted of 87 records published between 2001 and 2025, exported in RIS format and analyzed using VOSviewer. The network identified five clusters related to the origin and agroindustrial use of agave, biotechnological uses of its biomass, microbiota and phytochemical compounds, sustainable utilization of by-products, and other alternative uses. The overlay visualization showed a shift from studies related to cultivation, physicochemical characterization, and waste management toward research lines associated with biomass, biodegradation, sustainability, bioenergy, enzymatic processes, and phytochemical compounds. These findings show the diversification of agave research and the coexistence of traditional, biotechnological, food, and material applications.
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