Objective: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is increasingly being recognized as a significant health issue of current interest. Emerging research has focused on the role of the gut microbiota in MAFLD, stressing the significance of the gut-liver axis. Bibliometric analysis may serve as an effective tool for assessing research trends in the scientific literature by identifying key research topics, emerging areas of interest over time and the most influential studies. This bibliometric analysis covered the period 2015-2025 and aimed to investigate research status and trends in the evolving field concerning the role of the gut microbiota in MAFLD.

Materials and Methods: Utilizing relevant databases, the search strategy focused on keywords in article titles, and it was restricted to peer-reviewed original articles and reviews. Data analyses were performed using VOSviewer software and the web-based package for bibliometric visualization (RStudio).

Results: A total of 805 eligible scientific articles were identified, and the annual publication count increased impressively from 2015 to 2025, with a significant growth phase starting in 2016 (r2 = 0.9, p < 0.001). China dominated the number of relevant publications (n = 426; 53%), followed by the USA (n = 105; 13%), Spain (n = 48; 6%), Italy (n = 41; 5.15%), and France (n = 39; 4.86%).

Conclusions: This bibliometric study has illustrated an impressive growing body of research in recent years, exploring the role of the gut microbiota in MAFLD. Accordingly, it is expected that soon a holistic understanding of the significance of the gut-liver axis in MAFLD will emerge.