In Vitro Micropropagation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Abstract

Modern biotechnological methods like in vitro micropropagation technique hold tremendous potential for the production of high-quality plant-based medicine. They also allow to achieve the large scale multiplication of disease-free plants, faster cloning and the conservation of desired genotypes, in a very short span of time. Via genetic transformation techniques, the modification of both genetic information of MAPs and the regulation of genes responsible for the production of valuable biologically active substances has also become possible in either higher amounts or with better properties. Micropropagation protocols are worked out for many plant species cultured in vitro to provide macro-and micro-mineral nutrients, vitamins, source of carbohydrates, appropriate environmental conditions (light intensity, photoperiod and temperature) and plant growth regulators required to obtain high regeneration rates. As such they are expected to facilitate commercially feasible micropropagation. Well-defined cell culture methods have also been developed to produce pharmacologically important secondary metabolites. Genetic engineering is applied to produce transgenic medicinal plants and metabolites. This chapter offers a brief insight into the present status of the biotechnology of MAPs. Special emphasis has been placed on the in vitro micropropagation and rapid clonal multiplication of selected elite genotypes, the regulation of organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis, the exploitation of advantages in somaclonal variation and genetic engineering techniques for both crop improvement and in vitro germplasm conservation. The production of flavor and volatile constituents in tissue cultures will also be briefly discussed, similarly to the application of farther biotechnological approaches.