Caryocaraceae Voigt (Malpighiales): a Synthesis Based on Science Mapping and Systematic Review

Abstract

Caryocaraceae, a family of plants widely distributed throughout the Neotropic region, includes two woody genera: Anthodiscus and Caryocar - with 26 species. The family includes species with medical, timber, food, ecological, and cultural importance. Here we aim to unveil the current state of scientific knowledge of Caryocaraceae through a systematic review and a scientometric approach, also to trace bibliographic indicators of scientific knowledge production. Therefore, 386 studies were retrieved from the ISI Web of Science and Scopus. Our research includes de time interval from 1938 until 2019 and synthesizes information on the topics: i) Anatomy and morphology; ii) Distribution and habitat; iii) Ecology; iv) Genetics; v) Physical and biochemical characterization; vi) Farming and industry, and vii) Culture and traditional knowledge. Our findings indicate that Caryocar biology is well explored, but this is not the scenario for Anthodiscus that showed a lack of biological information, the reason we suggest efforts application to better understand this genus potential.