ABSTRACT
With a basis in human appreciation of beauty and aesthetic values, the new era of ornamental crops is based on implementing innovative technologies and transforming symbols into tangible assets. Recent advances in plant biotechnology have attracted considerable scientific and industrial interest, particularly in terms of modifying desired plant traits and developing future ornamental crops. By utilizing omics approaches, genomic data, genetic engineering, and gene editing tools, scientists have successively explored the underlying molecular mechanism and potential gene(s) behind trait regulation such as floral induction, plant architecture, stress resistance, plasticity, adaptation, and phytoremediation in ornamental crop species. These signs of progress lay a theoretical and practical foundation for designing and enhancing the efficiency of ornamental plants for a wide range of applications. In this review, we briefly summarized the existing literature and advances in biotechnological approaches for the improvement of vital traits in ornamental plants. The future ornamental plants, such as light-emitting plants, biotic/abiotic stress detectors, and pollution abatement, and the introduction of new ornamental varieties via domestication of wild species are also discussed.
ABSTRACT
The acceptance of new crop varieties by consumers is contingent on the presence of consumer-preferred traits, which include sensory attributes, nutritional value, industrial products and bioactive compounds production. Recent developments in genome editing technologies provide novel insight to identify gene functions and improve the various qualitative and quantitative traits of commercial importance in plants. Various conventional as well as advanced gene-mutagenesis techniques such as physical and chemical mutagenesis, CRISPR-Cas9, Cas12 and base editors are used for the trait improvement in crops. To meet consumer demand, breakthrough biotechnologies, especially CRISPR-Cas have received a fair share of scientific and industrial interest, particularly in plant genome editing. CRISPR-Cas is a versatile tool that can be used to knock out, replace and knock-in the desired gene fragments at targeted locations in the genome, resulting in heritable mutations of interest. This review highlights the existing literature and recent developments in CRISPR-Cas technologies (base editing, prime editing, multiplex gene editing, epigenome editing, gene delivery methods) for reliable and precise gene editing in plants. This review also discusses the potential of gene editing exhibited in crops for the improvement of consumer-demanded traits such as higher nutritional value, colour, texture, aroma/flavour, and production of industrial products such as biofuel, fibre, rubber and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the bottlenecks and challenges associated with gene editing system, such as off targeting, ploidy level and the ability to edit organelle genome have also been discussed.
ABSTRACT
Cambial meristematic cells (CMCs) culture has received a fair share of scientific and industrial attention among the trending topics of plant cell culture, especially their potential toward secondary metabolites production. However, the conventional plant cell culture is often not commercially feasible because of difficulties associated with culture dedifferentiated cells. Several reports have been published to culture CMCs and bypass the dedifferentiation process in plant cell culture. Numerous mitochondria, multiple vacuoles, genetic stability, self-renewal, higher biomass, and stable metabolites accumulation are the characteristics features of CMCs compared with dedifferentiated cells (DDCs) culture. The CMCs culture has a broader application to produce large-scale natural compounds for: pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetic industries. Cutting-edge progress in plant cellular and molecular biology has allowed unprecedented insights into cambial stem cell culture and its fundamental processes. Therefore, regarding sustainability and natural compound production, cambial cell culture ranks among the most vital biotechnological interventions for industrial and economic perspectives. This review highlights the recent advances in plant stem cell culture and understands the cambial cells induction and culture mechanisms that affect the growth and natural compounds production.
Subject(s)
Cambium , Cell Culture Techniques , Cells, Cultured , Biotechnology , PlantsABSTRACT
The use of new agricultural technologies such as soilless and aeroponic cultivation systems is a valuable approach to medicinal plant production. The present study investigated the prospects of enhancing yield and secondary metabolite production in Valeriana jatamansi under aeroponic cultivation using elicitors, such as yeast extract and methyl jasmonate. Plants were evaluated by measuring growth parameters, photosynthetic rate, and secondary metabolites contents (on a dry weight basis). Maximum plant height (36.83 cm), leaf number (17.67), rootlet number (37.33), and rootlet length (6.90 cm) were observed at 0.5 mg/L yeast extract treatment; whereas treatment levels of 1.5 mg/L yeast extract and 150 µM methyl jasmonate resulted in maximum leaf length (6.95 cm) and leaf width (5.43 cm), respectively. Maximum photosynthetic rate (5.4053 µmol m-2s-1) and stomatal conductance (0.0656 mmol m-2s-1) were recorded at treatment levels of 0.5 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L yeast extract respectively, whereas at 150 µM methyl jasmonate treatment, transpiration rate was 0.9046 mmol m-2s-1. In aeroponic cultivation, the maximum content of valerenic acid and hydroxy valerenic acid was detected in leaf (2.47 and 8.37 mg/g) and root (1.78 and 7.89 mg/g) at treatment levels of 100 µM and 150 µM methyl jasmonate, respectively. Acetoxy valerenic acid was highest in leaf (1.02 mg/g) at 1.5 mg/L yeast extract, and in the root (2.38 mg/g) at 150 µM methyl jasmonate. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified twenty-eight volatile compounds in roots, of which three-isovaleric acid (6.72-50.81%), patchouli alcohol (13.48-25.31%) and baldrinal (0.74-25.26%)-were the major constituents. The results revealed that, besides roots, leaves could also be utilized as a prominent alternative source for targeted secondary metabolites. In conclusion, aeroponic cultivation offers year-round quality biomass production and ease to access subsequent roots harvest in V. jatamansi, to meet the demand of the pharmaceutical industries.
ABSTRACT
The rising demand for picrosides commercially and over-exploitation of Picrorhiza kurroa from natural habitat has to initiate alternative strategies for sustainable production of metabolites. In the present research, wild leaf explant of P. kurroa was used to produce friable callus under different culture condition, i.e., dark and light with two temperature variants (15 °C and 25 °C). Afterward, callus cell lines were screened based on growth biomass and metabolites content accumulation. The results revealed, maximum callus growth index along with antioxidant potential (IC50-40.88 µg/mL) and total phenol content (41.35 µg/mg) were observed under dark 25 °C. However, under light 15 °C, highest accumulation of picroside II (0.58 µg/mg), cinnamic acid (0.15 µg/mg), p-hydroxy acetophenone (0.30 µg/mg), total flavonoids (77.30 µg/mg), nitrogen (7.06%), carbohydrates (18.03%), and protein (44.12%) were detected. Major reported metabolite in callus was picroside I (1.63 µg/mg) under dark 15 °C. For the first time, picroside III content (range 0.15-0.56 µg/mg) was also detected and quantified in leaf-derived calli. Expression profiling of picroside biosynthetic pathway genes showed a positive correlation with the observed metabolites. Furthermore, an optimized protocol of metabolites enriched callus biomass could be used as potential strategy for sustainable production of picrosides at commercial scale.
