Research into Isoflavonoid Phyto-oestrogens in Plant Cell Cultures

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to summarize the present knowledge on biotechnological research into isoflavonoid phyto-oestrogens. The physiological and pharmacological properties of isoflavones are discussed in the Introduc- tion. The accumulation of phyto-oestrogens by plant cell and tissue cultures is reviewed. A special emphasis is put on the influence of basic experimental me- dia and physiological factors on the production of isoflavonoids in in vitro cul- tures. The potential role of the transformation process as well as the techniques (including infection with bacteria and particle bombardment) and the various technological procedures (elicitation, feeding experiments) in isoflavone bio- synthesis is discussed. Moreover, this chapter deals with the in vitro cultures of legume plants oriented for selective accumulation of phyto-oestrogens.