Elicitation: A biotechnological tool for enhanced production of secondary metabolites in hairy root cultures.

Elicitation is a possible aid to overcome various difficulties associated with the large-scale production of most commercially important bioactive secondary metabolites from wild and cultivated plants, undifferentiated or differentiated cultures. Secondary metabolite accumulation in vitro or their efflux in culture medium has been elicited in the undifferentiated or differentiated tissue cultures of several plant species by the application of a low concentration of biotic and abiotic elicitors in the last three decades. Hairy root cultures are preferred for the application of elicitation due to their genetic and biosynthetic stability, high growth rate in growth regulator-free media, and production consistence in response to elicitor treatment.

Biotechnological Approaches for Production of Anti-Cancerous Compounds Resveratrol, Podophyllotoxin and Zerumbone.

Secondary metabolites from numerous plant sources have been developed as anti- cancer reagents and compounds such as resveratrol, podophyllotoxin and zerumbone are of particular importance in this regard. Since their de novo chemical synthesis is both arduous and commercially expensive, there has been an impetus to develop viable, biotechnological methods of production. Accordingly, this review focuses on the recent developments in the field, highlighting the use of micropropagation, cell suspension cultures, callus cultures, hairy root cultures, recombinant microbes and genetically modified higher plants.

Searching chromosomal landmarks in Indian lentils through EMA-based Giemsa staining method.

Lentil is one of the oldest protein-rich food crop with only one cultivated and six wild species. India is one important cultivator, producer and consumer of lentils and possesses a large number of germplasms. All species of lentil show 2n = 14 chromosomes.