Usos alternativos de hidrogeles a base de celulosa, almidón y quitosano: revisión de literatura y análisis bibliométrico

In recent decades, the study of biopolymers and their applications has taken on an important role thanks to their cost-effectiveness, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and abundance, leading to the development of a large number of polysaccharide-based biomaterials useful in multiple areas. For this reason, the objective of this research was to explore and analyze the alternative uses of cellulose-, starch-, and chitosan-based hydrogels through a review of scientific literature and a bibliometric analysis, in order to identify research trends, emerging applications, and opportunities for the development of new sustainable materials in different areas of knowledge. The literature review was carried out in the Scopus database using search criteria related to the main topic. A bibliometric and co-occurrence analysis was performed based on indicators that helped to recognize patterns in scientific production and visualize the evolution of interest in this field over the years. There was evidence of steady growth in the study of hydrogels, with China being the country with the highest scientific production worldwide and Brazil being the South American country with the most reported studies. Likewise, it was found that research on starch hydrogels focuses mainly on their structural properties and their use in the food industry; in cellulose hydrogels, studies on nanofibers and their incorporation into energy applications stand out; while in chitosan hydrogels, their uses in controlled drug release and environmental treatment processes are highlighted. This study shows that cellulose-, starch-, and chitosan-based hydrogels have enormous potential in areas as diverse as biomedicine, the food industry, environmental engineering, and the development of advanced materials. By combining the literature review with bibliometric analysis, a clear and up-to-date overview of the state of the art is provided, which in turn allows for the recognition of trends, knowledge gaps, and possible avenues for future research. In this way, the work not only summarizes the current landscape but also serves as a reference guide for researchers interested in the design of sustainable materials and their applications.