Modern Trends in the In Vitro Production and Use of Callus, Suspension Cells and Root Cultures of Medicinal Plants

Molecules. 2020 Dec 9;25(24):5805. doi: 10.3390/molecules25245805.

Abstract

This paper studies modern methods of producing and using callus, suspension cells and root cultures of medicinal plants in vitro. A new solution for natural product production is the use of an alternative source of renewable, environmentally friendly raw materials: callus, suspension and root cultures of higher plants in vitro. The possibility of using hairy root cultures as producers of various biologically active substances is studied. It is proven that the application of the genetic engineering achievements that combine in vitro tissue culture and molecular biology methods was groundbreaking in terms of the intensification of the extraction process of compounds significant for the medical industry. It is established that of all the callus processing methods, suspension and root cultures in vitro, the Agrobacterium method is the most widely used in practice. The use of agrobacteria has advantages over the biolistic method since it increases the proportion of stable transformation events, can deliver large DNA segments and does not require special ballistic devices. As a result of the research, the most effective strains of agrobacteria are identified.

Keywords: Agrobacterium; biologically active substances; callus and suspension cultures; medicinal plants; root cultures.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium / genetics
  • Biotechnology
  • Cell Culture Techniques
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Phytochemicals / biosynthesis
  • Plant Breeding
  • Plant Roots / cytology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Plants, Medicinal / cytology*
  • Plants, Medicinal / genetics
  • Plants, Medicinal / metabolism
  • Transformation, Genetic

Substances

  • Phytochemicals