Trametes polyzona in Fermentation-Based Biotechnology: A Three-Decade Bibliometric Mapping of Enzymatic Potential, Research Fragmentation, and Future Bioprocess Opportunities

Abstract

Trametes polyzona is a white-rot fungus whose laccase, manganese peroxidase, and lignin peroxidase system supports fermentation-based bioprocesses: pollutant bioremediation, effluent treatment, and enzyme production under solid-state and submerged fermentation. Its extracts also show antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activity. How this field is structured, and how far it has moved toward application, has not been examined. We analyzed 64 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science (1991–2025) with Bibliometrix R-Tool (v4.3.2) and VOSviewer (v1.6.20). Output has grown steadily since 2005, led by Thailand, Belgium, and South Africa. Keyword co-occurrence (119 terms, 3253 links) resolved five clusters: laccase catalysis and immobilization (39 terms); ligninolytic enzyme systems and strain characterization (27); comparative white-rot mycology and effluent treatment (23); dye decolorization with toxicity assessment (21); and enzyme purification and characterization (9). The strategic diagram placed laccase-mediated phenol oxidation and dye biodegradation among the motor themes, whereas bioactivity research remained a niche theme. The field has moved from enzymatic description toward immobilization and reactor-based treatment, but within the 64 records analyzed, species-specific reactor evidence rests on a single laboratory airlift study and no volumetric productivity, oxygen-transfer, or economic data are reported. Genomic and metabolomic resources remain scarce, defining clear priorities for fermentation-oriented research.