Bioreactor Technology for In Vitro Berry Plant Cultivation

Abstract

Woodland berries are among the most important berry species worldwide. They are a rich source of a wide variety of bioactive substances. They are demanded by the food and pharmacy processing industries, due to their delicious taste and high bioactivity value as well. In recent decades, in vitro micropropagation has become the standard for commercial propagation of certain plant species. However, the economic assessment of this technology shows that it is labor-intensive and the price of the plants obtained is high, thus directing the scientists to automate the in vitro propagation applying different bioreactor systems, which are characterized by constant environmental conditions of cultivation and high propagation rates, which influence directly on the reduction of the cost of propagated plants. This chapter provides information about traditional techniques for in vitro propagation of berry plants discussing the problems that appeared using this technology and summarizes also recent achievement in the development of bioreactor design and operation modes for the in vitro propagation of berry plants. The chapter presents a deep overview of phytochemical profiles and bioactivity of berry plants, because we believe that bioreactor technology is very prospective not only for micropropagation of plants but also for producing target metabolites that are responsible for the bioactivity of berry fruits as well as for the bioactivity of the extracts of different berry plant organs.