Bibliometric Analysis of The Ecotoxicological Effects of Ivermectin

ABSTRACT

Ivermectin is an antiparasitic used in human medicine and veterinary medicine. Moreover, its use intensified in Brazil during the pandemic as an early treatment for COVID-19. Bearing in mind that drugs enter the environment via different pathways, ecotoxicological studies are essential to understanding the effects of these compounds on biota. The aim of this study was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the ecotoxicological effects of ivermectin. Searches were conducted using different English, Portuguese and Spanish descriptors in different databases within the 2010-2021 time window. The papers found were subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria and subsequently studied. Fourteen publications, with records going all the way back to 2012, were assessed. According to their type, most papers were classified as original studies and revealed that the predominant test organisms were flies. In terms of subject areas, the studies fell within the fields of Environmental Science, Toxicology, Molecular Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Pharmacy and Multidisciplinary Chemistry. In all of the papers studied, there was a case of association of researchers from different countries as well as a predominance of English manuscripts. Word cloud analysis based on the keywords highlighted a concern with the impacts of this antiparasitic on the biota present in manure. As a result of the survey conducted, environmental monitoring of this substance and the performance of experiments that contemplate the current situation of occurrence of this drug in different environmental matrices are recommended.