Genetic transformation of bael (Aegle marmelos Corr.)

Abstract

Aegle marmelos Corr. is better known for its values rather than its edible quality. Every part of the plant viz. leaves, fruits, roots, and the bark are used for treating various diseases related to heart, stomach, bacterial, fungal, viral, worms, fertility, fever and cosmetics. Marmelosin is one of the major compounds (coumarin), used to treat various diseases. Till date, there are no varieties developed for commercial orchards of Bael and hence, regarded as one among the underutilized fruits of India. Therefore, there is an urgent need for breeding new and cultivable varieties in Aegle marmelos. But the problem for the breeders would be the long gestation period for flowering and fruiting with seedling plants or vegetative propagules. Micro propagation seems to be a promising tool for large scale multiplication of this woody species and as its response to in vitro culture was quite successful, it offers possibilities for taping their potentials for extraction of secondary metabolites and medicinal compounds. This poses concerns on the yield, quality, stability and functional properties of the medicinal principles that are derived directly from the tree and from suspension cultures. An alternative and fruitful strategy that is possible is to develop a stable transformation system which can stack only potential genes of medicinal importance and silence inhibitory compounds so as to maintain the quality and their bioactive properties. This chapter deals with the micro propagation protocol, strategies for genetic transformation, challenges and prospects, biosafety, regulatory environment, intellectual property, and transgenic development.