Bioengineering for Production of Biologically Active Compounds in Plants

Bioengineering is a useful alternative for commercial- and industrial-scale production of bioactive principles. It is a compelling need for commercial-scale production of bioactive compounds with utility in prevention and cure of ailment prevailing in mankind. The huge utility of these compounds poses high pressure for finding biosynthesis alternatives related to the processes involved in planning, designing, and scale-up operation pertaining to large-scale biosynthesis of these bioactive molecules. Bioengineering involved in optimization of an array of operational factors that demand optimization during manufacturing design and scale-up operation meant for the biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds. The approaches like; cell suspension culture, biotransformation, and metabolic engineering are indispensable for achieving the goal of industrial-scale production of these vital biomolecules with role as active principles in many pharmaceutical compositions. These approaches also offer an array of benefits, such as the non-requirement of whole-plant extraction, preventing non-sustainable harvesting of plant species, targeting maximum quantity and better scope of commercial production. The decision of the process design and optimization strategies rely on the type of bioreactor employed, inherent properties of cell stain as well as population kinetics of the organism utilized for the process. Bioengineering plays a crucial role in standardization and optimization of parameters concerning to optimum temperature, population growth curve, biomolecule formation, and compartmentalization of synthesized metabolites, which should be critically considered to achieve the goal of commercial production or industrial-level production of biologically active compound in plant. The cost of desired biomolecules is a crucial factor that determines the economic feasibility of the product. Sincere attention has been given to minimize the cost of desired product. To achieve this, bioengineering has developed an array of methods pertaining to extraction of valuable biomolecule from agricultural and vegetable waste. This chapter introduces various classes of biologically active compounds, with a focus on those that have application in the pharmaceutical industries. Subsequently, special attention is paid to bioactive compounds that are produced using cell culture. The type of bioreactor used in cell culture and its impact on growth dynamics and metabolite accumulation are the main bioengineering steps. Thus, the potential of cells and the synthesis of biomolecules are discussed. These bioengineering techniques cover the establishment of a strong basis for upcoming innovations pertaining to the biosynthesis and enhancement of potent bioactive compounds.