BACKGROUND: The investigation of mitophagy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains relatively underexplored in bibliometric analysis. OBJECTIVE: To delve into the progress of mitophagy, offering a comprehensive overview of research trends and frontiers for researchers. METHODS: Basic bibliometric information, targets, and target-drug-clinical trial-disease extracted from publications identified in the Web of Science Core Collection from 2007 to 2022 were assessed using bibliometric software. RESULTS: The study encompassed 5,146 publications, displaying a consistent 16-year upward trajectory. The United States emerged as the foremost contributor in publications, with the ' being the most prolific journal. P. Hemachandra Reddy, George Perry, and Xiongwei Zhu are the top 3 most prolific authors. PINK1 and Parkin exhibited an upward trend in the last 6 years. Keywords (e.g., insulin, aging, epilepsy, tauopathy, and mitochondrial quality control) have recently emerged as focal points of interest within the past 3 years. "Mitochondrial dysfunction" is among the top terms in disease clustering. The top 10 drugs/molecules (e.g., curcumin, insulin, and melatonin) were summarized, accompanied by their clinical trials and related targets. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a comprehensive overview of the mitophagy research landscape in AD over the past 16 years, underscoring mitophagy as an emerging molecular mechanism and a crucial focal point for potential drug in AD. This study pioneers the inclusion of targets and their correlations with drugs, clinical trials, and diseases in bibliometric analysis, providing valuable insights and inspiration for scholars and readers of JADR interested in understanding the potential mechanisms and clinical trials in AD.