Tracing the Evolution of Enzymatic Bioremediation Using Scientometric Analysis

Enzymes are responsible for any biochemical reactions including the transformation of toxic pollutants by microbes. Identification, isolation and application of enzymes for biodegradation of environmental pollutants have become one of the research hotspots. Whether it is due to the constant seeking of a better enzyme, advances in techniques, or increases in some pollutants, there have been exponential increases in the number of research on enzymatic bioremediation. A Scientometrics study was undertaken to capture the holistic view of enzymatic bioremediation. 14,952 research papers were identified from a topic search covering the period 1983 to 2023 from the ‘web-of-science’ database. The social network analysis approach was used for understanding the structure and dynamics of the research. The study identifies that among the enzymes, research activity is most intense in laccase followed by peroxidase and dioxygenase whereas, in microbes, Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp. and Phanerochaete sp. are areas show maximum research. In contrast to fungus and fungal enzymes, there has been gradual increases in research on bacteria and bacterial enzymes. Dye, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) along with other emerging pollutants like plastics and pesticides are the most studied substrates. The study also draws attention to research increasingly being undertaken to identify, isolate and manipulate new enzymes using various emerging techniques such as metagenomics, genetic engineering, molecular docking and simulations. The results and implications of the study are discussed.