Biotechnological Approaches For Medicinal And Aromatic Plants

For the majority of the world's population, medicinal and aromatic plants are the most important source of life-saving drugs. Biotechnological tools represent important resources for selecting, multiplying and conserving the critical genotypes of medicinal plants. In this regard, in-vitro regeneration holds tremendous potential for the production of high-quality plant-based medicines, while cryopreservation - a long-term conservation method using liquid nitrogen - provides an opportunity to conserve endangered medicinal and aromatic plants. In-vitro production of secondary metabolites in plant cell suspension cultures has been reported for various medicinal plants, and bioreactors represent a key step toward the commercial production of secondary metabolites by means of plant biotechnology. Addressing these key aspects, the book contains 29 chapters, divided into three sections. Section 1: In-vitro production of secondary metabolites Section 2: In-vitro propagation, genetic transformation and germplasm conservation Section 3: Conventional and molecular approaches.

Due to complex phytochemical components and associated beneficial properties, numerous medicinal and aromatic plants, in whole or parts, have been used for nutritional purposes or the treatment of various diseases and disorders in humans and animals. Essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) have been exploited for product formulations of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and beverage, colorants, biopesticides, and several other utility chemicals of industrial importance. There is scientific evidence of many medicinal plant extracts possessing immunomodulatory, immunostimulatory, antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, thus demonstrating their traditional use in popular medicine. With the advent of modern technology, the exploitation of natural resources has exponentially increased in order to fulfill the demand of an increased human population with improved quality of life. The traditional agriculture and production-based supply of commodities is inadequate to meet the current demand. Biotechnological approaches are gaining importance to bridge the gaps in demand and supply. In the proposed book, medicinal and aromatic plant-based secondary metabolites have been discussed in terms of their therapeutic potential and industrial relevance. To discuss the qualitative and quantitative analysis of a range of medicinal and aromatic plants-based secondary metabolites (SMs), bioprocess development for their extraction and bioseparation, a brief overview of their industrial relevance, various tissue culturing strategies, biotechnological approaches to enhance production, scale-up strategies, management of residual biomass post extraction of target SMs is central to the idea of the proposed book. A section will explore the verticals mentioned above. In the next section, the book addresses the approaches for conserving and improving medicinal and aromatic plant genetic resources. In the third section, approaches to managing the post-harvest crop residue and secondary metabolites extracted plant biomass will be thoroughly discussed. The recent integration of artificial intelligence to improve medicinal and aromatic plant research at several levels, including the development and employment of computational approaches to enhance secondary metabolite production, tissue culture, drug design and discovery, and disease treatment, will be included in the fourth section. The book summarizes current research status, gaps in knowledge, agro-industrial potential, waste or residual plant biomass management, conservation strategies, and computational approaches in the area of medicinal and aromatic plants with an aim to translate biotechnological interventions into reality.

Like the previous nine volumes published between 1988 and 1996, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants X is unique in its approach. It comprises 22 chapters dealing with the distribution, importance, conventional propagation, micropropagation, tissue culture studies, and the in vitro production of important medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds in various species of Actinidia, Alkanna, Arnebia, Campanula, Catharanthus, Centella, Chenopodium, Cornus, Cyanara, Ephedra, Euglena, Haplophyllum, Morus, Oenothera, Otacanthus, Oxalis, Polypodium, Rosmarinus, Sesamum, Solanum, Taxus, and Tephrosia. This book is tailored to the needs of advanced students, teachers, and research scientists in the field of pharmacy, plant tissue culture, phytochemistry, biochemical engineering, and plant biotechnology in general.

Plant bioactive compounds are plant-based natural products that display a variety of pharmacological applications. These bioactive compounds are important as medicines, pigments and flavorings since most of the pharmaceutical industries are highly dependent on medicinal plants and their extraction. The types and concentrations of bioactive compounds produced by plants are determined by the species, genotype, physiology, developmental stage and environmental factors during growth, determining the physiological adaptive responses employed by various plant taxonomic groups in coping with the stress and defensive stimuli. In the past two decades there has been a renewed interest in the study of conventional aspects such as elicitors and biotic and abiotic stress factors that influence secondary metabolism during in vitro and in vivo growth of plants. the application of molecular biology tools and techniques are facilitating increased understanding of the signaling processes and pathways involved in the bioactive compounds production in subcellular, cellular, organ and whole plant systems during in vivo and in vitro growth, with application in the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathways intermediates. Biosynthesis and Manipulation of Bioactive compounds in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants provides a comprehensive introduction and review of the state-of-the-art biotechnological tools used in enhancement of bioactive compounds in medicinal and aromatic plants. Readers will find a systematic overview of techniques such as Omics, Crisper /Cas9 and RNAi to enhance plant bioactive contents including various in vitro techniques, hairy root culture and transgenic technology to enhance plant bioactive contents using plant tissue culture approaches. The chapters provide an overview of the role of induced mutation, biotic and abiotic stress to increase the bioactive contents in plants, plus the role of endophytes to enhance the contents of plant bioactive compounds and standard operating procedures using hydroponics system of cultivation for significant enhancement of bioactive compounds. This book serves as a single source for researchers working in plant secondary metabolites and the pharmaceutical industry.

This book, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants IX, like the previous eight volumes published in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1995, is unique in its approach. It comprises twenty-four chapters dealing with the distribution, importance, conventional propagation, micropropagation, tissue culture studies, and the in vitro production of important medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds in various species of Agave, Anthemis, Aralia, Blackstonia, Catha, Catharanthus, Cephalocereus, Clerodendron, Coronilla, Gloeophyllum, Liquidambar, Marchantia, Mentha, Onosma, Paeonia, Parthenium, Petunia, Phyllanthus, Populus, Portulaca, Sandersonia, Serratula, Scoparia, and Thapsia. It is tailored to the needs of advanced students, teachers, and research scientists in the field of pharmacy, plant tissue culture, phytochemistry, biochemical engineering, and plant biotechnology in general.

27 chapter cover the distribution, economic importance, conventional propagation, micropropagation, tissue culture, and in vitro production of important medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds in various species of Ajuga, Allium, Ambrosia, Artemisia, Aspilia, Atractylodes, Callitris, Choisya, Cinnamomum, Coluria, Cucumis, Drosera, Daucus, Eustoma, Fagopyrum, Hibiscus, Levisticum, Onobrychis, Orthosiphon, Quercus, Sanguinaria, Solanum, Sophora, Stauntonia, Tanecetum, Vetiveria, and Vitis. Like the previous volumes 4, 7, 15, and 21 in the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants series, the volume is tailored to the need of advanced students, teachers, and research scientists in the area of plant biotechnology andbioengineering, pharmacy, botany and biochemistry.

The series of books on the biotechnology of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants provides a survey of the literature, focusing on recent information and the state of the art in tissue culture and the in vitro production of secondary metabolites. This book, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants VII, like the previous six volumes published in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1994, is unique in its approach. It comprises 28 chapters dealing with the distribu­ tion, importance, conventional propagation, micro propagation, tissue culture studies, and the in vitro production of important medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds in various species of Aesculus, Althaea, Baptisia, Berberis, Beta, Bowiea, Camp to theca, Chrysanthellum, Citrus, Claviceps, Coleonema, Dianthus, Dunaliella, Epimedium, Euphorbia, Forsythia, Gomphrena, Larix, Lobelia, Medicago, Papaver, Phytolacca, Pueraria, Santalum, Santolina, Sapium, Tabebuia, and Tripterygium. This book is tailored to the needs of advanced students, teachers, and research scientists in the field of pharmacy, plant tissue culture, phytochemistry, biochemical engineering, and plant biotechnology in general. New Delhi, July 1994 Professor Y. P. S. BAJAJ Series Editor Contents I Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Horse Chestnut): In Vitro Culture and Production of Aescin P. GASTALDO, A. M. CAVIGLIA, and P. PROFUMO (With 7 Figures) 1 General Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . 2 In Vitro Culture Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 4 Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 II Althaea officinalis L. (Marshmallow): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Biologically Active Compounds I. IONKovA and A. W. ALFERMANN (With 10 Figures) 1 General Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . 2 Biotechnological Approaches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 .

Herbal drugs play a pivotal role in modern medicine and pharmaceutical care; however, only limited biotechnology applications have been seen in medicinal plants. Revolutions in high-throughput approaches emphasize omics approaches, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this book provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of breakthroughs in high-throughput approaches for the research of medicinal plants. Exploring the principles and applications of omics technologies, this book is essential for those working on or are involved in the modern research of medicinal and aromatic plants. There is also a strong focus on practical implications of these technologies through exploring the safety aspects and conservation strategies of various plants. From informative discussions on the latest research to a holistic evaluation of their potential applications, this book appeals to students, researchers and professionals working with medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as healthcare professionals interested in the area.