Exploring the potential of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.): a comprehensive review and conceptual mapping

Abstract Background Castanea sativa Mill. is important for ecosystems and societies. Its rich historical and cultural significance, remarkable ecological contributions, and diverse applications have inspired scientific research. This comprehensive review and conceptual mapping of chestnut research consolidates existing knowledge, identifies emerging trends, and highlights untapped potential to inform future investigations. First, the Scopus database was searched to retrieve all data-driven articles in English related to C. sativa published in English from 1951 to 2023. Second, the R language, Scopus Analytics, and VOSviewer were used to analyze the year of publication, authors, countries, affiliations, keywords, and citations. Finally, network analysis was performed to evaluate the hotspots and developmental trends of C. sativa. A total of 1889 research articles were recovered. Results The articles showed an exponential progression, with a regression coefficient of 0.9435 (R2) and an annual growth rate of 6.28%. Italy (19.87%), Spain (15.56%), Portugal (13.39%), Turkey (6.92%), and Switzerland (5.17%) were the most prolific countries. C. sativa (798), sweet chestnut (54), cryphonectria parasitica (44), honey (38), phenolic compounds (35), chestnut blight (33) and antioxidant activity (31) are the keywords that occur the most frequently. The main research groups in the thematic map are "forest management," "Cryphonectria parasitica," "wood," "Spain" and "ethnobotany." Research on C. sativa has all the basic, motor, niche, and emerging or declining themes. Forest management, drought, Gnomoniopsis smithogilvyi, C. sativa shells, amino acids, honey, phenolic compounds, hydrolyzable tannins, antioxidant capacity, antioxidants, and extractives are trending topics. Conclusions This bibliometric analysis highlights the importance of C. sativa research, revealing its ecological contributions, cultural significance, and diverse applications. Future studies should focus on forest management, drought resistance, and bioactive properties to ensure sustainable utilization.