Cistanche Market Insights 2004–2025: Publication Trends, Key Authors, Institutions, And What It Means For Cistanche For Sale
Sep 09, 2025
ABSTRACT: Objective To analyze the research status of Cistanche deserticola from January 2004 to March 2025 based on bibliometrics, so as to reveal the research hotspots and future development trend in this field. Methods To accurately detect the evolution, research hotspots, frontier trends and development in the field of subject knowledge, 656 articles in the Web of Science core collection and 1940 articles in China national knowledge internet database were visually analyzed by CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. Results The literature published in this field showed a fluctuating growth trend over the years, and China had made the most outstanding contribution in this field and maintained close cooperation with many countries. Keyword analysis showed that the research hotspots included oxidative stress, echinacoside, phenylethanoid glycosides, data mining, medication rules, fingerprints and so on. In addition, the study of Cistanche deserticola involved many disciplines, including pharmacology pharmacy, crop science, traditional Chinese medicine, food science technology and so on. Conclusion This study hopes to provide reference for researchers in the field of Cistanche deserticola, calles on all research institutions to strengthen cooperation and exchange, jointly meets future research challenges, and further promote in-depth development and innovation breakthroughs in this field.
KEY WORDS: Cistanche deserticola; bibliometrics; CiteSpace; VOSviewer; visualized analysis
Introduction
Cistanche deserticola is a perennial parasitic herb of Orobanchaceae that grows on the roots of halophytes such as Haloxylon and Tamarix. The main commercial species include C. deserticola, C. tubulosa, C. salsa, and C. sinensis, widely distributed in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Ningxia, China. Rich in polysaccharides, phenylethanoid glycosides (e.g., echinacoside, acteoside), iridoids and their glycosides, and lignans, Cistanche is a renowned traditional Chinese medicinal material. Reported functions include tonifying kidney yang (vitality), relieving physical fatigue, supporting memory, promoting bowel regularity, antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory effects, and immune support. Since its official inclusion as a "medicinal-and-edible homolog" material in 2023, research has expanded into food science and nutrition, reshaping the cistanche market and downstream innovation.
Despite rapid growth, quantitative mapping of the literature has been limited. Wu et al. analyzed 1980–2022 outputs in Web of Science (WoS), covering 330 institutions in 46 countries, but focused mainly on actives and pharmacology and only within WoS. Sun Yue‑yang et al. examined 2002–2022 outputs in CNKI and WoS, highlighting TCM therapy, clinical studies, and pathogenesis, but noted insufficient international collaboration. To capture the evolving cistanche market and inform buyers evaluating cistanche for sale, a broader bibliometric and visualization study is warranted.
Methods and data sources
English dataset (WoS Core Collection): Topic = "Cistanche" OR "roucongrong" OR "Cistanches herba" OR "desertliveing Cistanche herb"; time span 2004‑01‑01 to 2025‑03‑10; document types article and review. Retrieved 656 records; after deduplication, 656 were retained.
Chinese dataset (CNKI): keyword "肉苁蓉"; time span 2004‑01‑01 to 2025‑03‑10; searched on 2025‑03‑11; journal articles initially 1,942; after deduplication, 1,940 retained.
Tools: CiteSpace 6.3.R1, VOSviewer, and Excel 2019 for bibliometrics and network visualization. In CiteSpace, nodes denote institutions, countries, keywords; in VOSviewer, nodes denote authors. Node size reflects publication volume; link thickness reflects collaboration strength. These analytics illuminate the structure of the cistanche market knowledge network and inform evidence‑based choices around cistanche for sale.
Results and analysis
2.1 Annual publication trends
We excluded 2025 counts from trend plots because data only ran through March 10, 2025.
CNKI (Chinese literature): 77 papers in 2004, dropping to 47 in 2005, a small peak in 2009, peaking at 114 in 2011, then fluctuating growth from 2013–2021. Output accelerated rapidly after 2022, reaching 119 in 2024-aligned with expanding food and health product applications and a growing cistanche market.
WoS (English literature): 9 papers in 2004, slow steady growth with a small peak in 2009, clearer uptick after 2015, 41 papers in 2017, overall upward trend with 76 in 2022, followed by a slight dip in 2023–2024.
Compared with Wu et al. and Sun et al. (both ending in 2022), this study extends to March 2025, adding nearly two years of crucial data (~13.3% of the total), capturing the post‑2023 "medicinal‑and‑edible" policy pivot that is actively reshaping the cistanche market and product pipelines (including cistanche for sale in functional foods and supplements).
2.2 Journals
Top English outlets (WoS):
Journal of Ethnopharmacology leads with 29 papers, underscoring its centrality for ethnopharmacology and the global cistanche market discourse.
Frontiers in Pharmacology (19), Molecules (18), International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (16), with most others publishing 10–15 papers.
Top Chinese outlets (CNKI):
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica (60) ranks first.
Inner Mongolia Forestry and China Modern Chinese Medicine both at 49.
Additional high‑output journals include Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs, Shizhen Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia Medica, Journal of Chinese Medicinal Materials, and Chinese Patent Medicine.
Policy tailwind: In January 2020, China's NHC and SAMR launched pilot production and operation as medicinal‑and‑edible homolog materials for nine substances including Cistanche deserticola, catalyzing expansion into food applications. Over the last five years, research diversified into extraction processes, bioactive profiles, and functional effects-key signals for the cistanche market and for purchasers assessing cistanche for sale.
cistanche tubulosa extract specification list for sale
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2.3 Author collaboration
VOSviewer author co‑occurrence maps show clustered teams:
English top contributors include Tu, Pengfei (35), Jiang, Yong (23), Li, Jun (18), Yoshikawa, Masayuki (17), Morikawa, Toshio (16), Song, Yuelin (16), Li, Xueqin (15), Piwowarczuk, Zenata (14), Muraoka, Osamu (14), Liu, Tao (13), and Yang, Jianhua (13). The Tu‑centered cluster indicates strong collaborative leadership in core chemistry‑pharmacology arcs.
Chinese literature top contributors include Guo Yuhai (62), Chen Jun (55), Xu Rong (48), Tu Pengfei (45), Hu Junping (42), Liu Tongning (41), Yang Jianhua (40), Liu Tao (24), Zhai Zhixi (23), and Song Yuxia (23). These teams span growth and cultivation, pharmacology, chemistry, artificial inoculation, and functional studies-areas directly impacting quality control and market standards for cistanche for sale.
2.4 Institutional collaboration
CiteSpace institutional networks (time slicing = 1 year):
WoS leaders: Peking University (44), Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (41), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (32), China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (29), Xinjiang Medical University (29), China Agricultural University (21), Shenyang Pharmaceutical University (19), Shihezi University (17), Peking Union Medical College Hospital (14), Ningxia Medical University (14). Most leading outputs are China‑based universities and institutes, with Kinki University (Japan, 12) and Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce (Poland, 11) as the top overseas contributors. This consolidation signals growing methodological rigor-important for standardizing specifications and elevating confidence in the cistanche market.
CNKI leaders: School of Pharmacy, Xinjiang Medical University (51); College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University (31); Yongning, Ningxia Cistanche Planting Base (24); Research Center for Chinese Medicinal Materials, CAU (20); PUMC Hospital (17); Xinjiang Institute of Traditional and Ethnic Medicine (13); Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (13); Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (12); School of Food Science and Pharmacy, Xinjiang Agricultural University (12); Xinjiang Institute of Pharmaceutical Research (12).
Dense inter‑institutional linkages indicate active domestic collaboration across regions and disciplines, laying the groundwork for deeper consortia that can set quality benchmarks-vital for responsible scaling of the cistanche market and for buyers comparing cistanche for sale across suppliers.
Why this matters for practitioners and buyers
The post‑2023 policy shift is driving cross‑disciplinary research, pushing clearer standards on identity, actives, and contaminants-directly influencing labeling and COA practices seen in cistanche for sale.
Concentration in high‑credibility journals (e.g., Journal of Ethnopharmacology) and leading institutions suggests a maturing evidence base that can inform product development and procurement decisions in the global cistanche market.
WECISTANCHE FACTORY CERTIFICATE
For market participants:
Verify species (C. deserticola or C. tubulosa) and origin.
Request standardized markers (echinacoside/acteoside) and contaminant panels.
Compare suppliers' HACCP/GMP status and third‑party lab reports to differentiate cistanche for sale offerings beyond price.
SEO note: The cistanche market is expanding into functional foods, nutraceuticals, and specialized medical nutrition. Stakeholders searching for cistanche for sale should focus on traceability, active marker ranges, and compliance signals that reflect the publication‑backed best practices outlined above. As research output rises, expect clearer quality tiers and more transparent specifications across the cistanche market, making it easier to evaluate cistanche for sale with confidence.
Keywords: cistanche market, cistanche for sale, Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche tubulosa, phenylethanoid glycosides, bibliometrics, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, HACCP, COA, functional foods, TCM.
