Role of Nanoparticles in the Suppression of Diseases in Fruits and Vegetables to Improve Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability: A Bibliometric Analysis

The global population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, necessitating a 50% increase in food production. Additionally, damage of crops by pests and diseases leads to 10–20% decrease in the world food supply, casting doubt on efforts to achieve food security. Furthermore, vegetables and fruits, due to their pleasant taste, flavour, and healthful properties, are indispensable elements of our diet. However, during the food distribution process, from pre-harvest practices to transportation and storage after harvesting, vegetables and fruits are susceptible to microbial deterioration and diseases. In this study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to assess the scientific advances made in the application of nanoparticles for disease suppression in vegetables and fruits. Publications between 2000 and 2021 were considered for this study from Scopus databases. The publications were sorted based on keywords, titles, and abstracts. The field of study, types of documents, country of origin, and the number of publications were used to identify the current research trend. From the analysis, it was observed that nanomaterials had been extensively studied for drug delivery and food safety; however, their application in disease suppression in fruits and vegetables has been limited. Hence, it was concluded that this knowledge gap should be further explored.