Objective As key water-soluble components in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas, polysaccharides play a critical role in elucidating the mechanisms of these formulas. Clarifying their functions is a key breakthrough to decipher the mysteries of TCM formulas and advance its modernization. This study employs bibliometric methods to comprehensively analyze the current status, hotspots, and trends of research on polysaccharides from TCM formulas between 2005 and 2025, aiming to provide a reference for future development in this field. Methods Relevant Chinese and English literature were retrieved from the China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) databases, respectively. Bibliometric tools including CiteSpace and VOSviewer were employed to analyze publication output, journals, authors/institutions, citation frequency, and keywords of both Chinese and English literature, respectively. Results Over the past two decades, a total of 227 literature that met the requirements were retrieved. The annual publication output showed a fluctuating upward trend, with Chinese literature (199 papers, 87.7%) dominating, underscoring the distinct characteristics and advantage of China in this field. The most prolific institutions were Shihezi University (40 articles) for Chinese publications and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (six articles) for English publications. Gu Xinli ranked first among Chinese authors with 40 publications, while Li Xiaobo and Peng Ying tied for the lead among English authors, each with six publications. Keyword analysis revealed that research evolution within the past 20 years can be divided into three main phases: establishment of basic technologies, expansion of activity studies, and the intervention of microecological functions. Hot topics included optimization of extraction processes, characterization of basic properties, investigations into classic formulas such as Sijunzi Tang and Yupingfeng San, along with studies on immunomodulation, antioxidant and antitumor effects, and gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms. Conclusion Research on polysaccharides in TCM formulas constitutes a relatively niche yet steadily evolving area, marked by distinctive Chinese characteristics and regional advantages. However, limitations remain, including insufficient research coverage, limited research depth, and inadequate exploration of synergistic mechanisms. Future breakthroughs will require interdisciplinary integration to tackle these core challenges, thereby potentially accelerating the modernization and internationalization of TCM formulas.

polysaccharides of TCM formulas  /  CiteSpace  /  VOSviewer  /  visual analysis  /  gut microbiota  /  immune regulation