Abstract:: Nanozymes are engineered nanomaterials that behave like natural enzymes. They can speed up chemical reactions in a similar way. This study explores how nanozyme research has developed in the food industry and how much scientific impact it has had. It uses bibliometric analysis to identify major research trends, leading contributors, and important gaps in current knowledge. Out of 630 available publications, 439 were selected for analysis. These papers were retrieved from the Scopus database and published between 2017 and 2024. Tools such as BibExcel, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny were used to examine the data. The results show a strong growth in nanozyme research in recent years. Most of the publications appeared between 2020 and 2024, accounting for 92.48% of the total output. This highlights a rapid increase in interest during the later years of the study period. China emerged as the leading contributor worldwide. Several Chinese institutions ranked among the most productive research centers. Australia and India followed, each making notable contributions to the field. Most nanozyme applications are focused on food safety. In particular, nanozymes are widely used in biosensors to detect contaminants, pathogens, and toxins. They are also applied in food preservation and quality control. Factor analysis identified several key research themes. These include catalytic activity, colorimetric sensing, and antioxidant functions of nanozymes. Ten research institutes in China were found to be at the forefront of global research, especially in food science and engineering. Despite rapid progress, important challenges remain. These include ensuring nanozyme safety, understanding how they behave in the human body, achieving consistent performance, and scaling them up for use in real food systems. The study suggests that future research should focus more on safety and effectiveness. It should also explore new applications beyond those currently reported. Overall, the findings reflect strong global interest in nanozymes and highlight their potential to improve food safety, enhance food processing, support sustainability, and shape future food technologies.
Rehman et al. (Wed,) studied this question.