Antiviral peptides (AVPs) are small molecules that inhibit the replication of viruses in living cells. AVPs are being investigated as potential alternatives to traditional antiviral drugs. The development of novel antiviral agents is of the highest concern because some traditional antiviral medications can be ineffective and lead to resistant viruses emergence. We conducted a bibliometric study on the global distribution of AVP research to comprehend the trends and patterns in the field. For this analysis, we retrieved data from the Scopus database on AVP-related publications from 1951 to 2022, including the number of publications, citations, and authors. Overall, 10,279 papers were published, with an annual average of 146 publications. The United States released the most documents, followed by China, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Since 2001, there has been a substantial increase in global publications on AVPs, with prominent themes including virology, genetics, protease inhibitors, polypeptide antimicrobial agents, and viral entry. This bibliometric analysis can be used to guide future research in this field.
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