In vitro production of some important secondary metabolites from Zingiber species

Abstract

Many higher plants are major sources of natural products which are used as pharmaceuticals, flavor and fragrances, dye and pigments, pesticides, and food additives. The search for new plant-derived chemicals has become a priority in current and future efforts toward sustainable conservation and rational utilization of biodiversity. In the recent years, the evolving commercial importance of secondary metabolites has led to a great interest in the production and enhancement of bioactive plant metabolites by means of tissue culture technologies. Plant cell culture systems represent a potential renewable source of valuable medicinal compounds which are not limited by the low yields associated with natural harvest or the high cost associated with complex chemical synthesis as well as provide more resistance to pathogens and adverse environmental and climatic conditions. Different strategies, using an in vitro system such as undifferentiated cell cultures and hairy root culture, have been extensively studied to improve the production of plant chemicals as they are more genetically stable. Among the medicinal plants, Zingiber is also considered as an important genus comprising many plant species that has received much attention in food and medicinal industry due to the presence of different secondary metabolites that contribute to its diverse biological activities. Based on this limelight, the present chapter focusses on several studies of in vitro production of important secondary metabolites from different Zingiber species. Moreover, the applications and strategies for the enhancement of these valuable metabolites by using in vitro technology are also discussed in this chapter.