Production, Storage, and Regeneration of Synthetic Seeds from Selected Medicinal Plants with Antiallergic Property

Since ancient times, medicinal plants are termed as a treasure trove of nature having infinite pharmacological properties. The alginate encapsulation technique has been successfully employed in many medicinal plants having antiallergic property using different kind of explants, encapsulation agents, and matrices according to the plant species that can be preserved and regrown after a definite storage period of time. A wide range of sodium alginate solutions (encapsulation agent) in combination with calcium chloride solutions (encapsulation matrix) has been fruitfully employed for the production of artificial or synthetic seeds or synseeds in order to develop homogeneous, transparent, isodiametric, and rigid beads in several plant species concerned with antiallergic property. However, there has been minimal progress till date for the preservation of these synthetic seeds ensuring their viability upon long-term storage. This particular chapter intends mainly on several physical and chemical factors that are involved in the development, pre-storage, or post-storage regrowth of artificial seeds of various important medicinal plants concerned with antiallergic property. Moreover, the limiting issues impeding the advancement of synthetic seed technology as well as associated future prospects are well addressed.