CRISPR/Cas9-Driven Genetic Enhancement of Anti-aging Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants continue to attract interest for their role in healthy aging, largely due to their production of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and genome-protective secondary metabolites. With the growing availability of high-quality genomic and transcriptomic resources, genome editing, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, offers a precise way to modify the biosynthetic pathways that generate these compounds. Several important species, including Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil), Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), Aloe vera, Centella asiatica (Gotu kola), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), and Phyllanthus emblica (Amla), now have well-characterized metabolic genes linked to the synthesis of eugenol, withanolides, acemannan, triterpenoid saponins, curcuminoids, and ascorbate. In Basil and Ashwagandha, pathway reconstruction and enzyme-level studies have identified several rate-limiting steps that could serve as targets for future CRISPR-mediated metabolic enhancement once more reliable transformation systems are established. In species such as Centella asiatica and Aloe vera, the biochemical characterization of key enzymes including β-amyrin synthase, UDP-glycosyltransferases, mannosyltransferases, and polysaccharide-modifying acetyltransferases is recognized to be a potential target for pathway engineering. Collectively, these advances signal a gradual shift from conventional breeding toward precision genetic approaches aimed at elevating the therapeutic and anti-aging properties of medicinal plants. Despite species-specific recalcitrance and the need to manage off-target effects, CRISPR/Cas9 remains a promising tool for developing next-generation botanicals with enhanced bioactive profiles. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the current progress, key constrains and omics, and AI-based future prospects of CRISPR/Cas9-driven approaches specifically aimed at enhancing the anti-aging potential of medicinal plants to address the growing global demand for natural therapeutic agents.