Progress in the Secondary Metabolite Production in Medicinal Plants: An Overview

Plants are an indispensable source for the generation of useful secondary metabolites. About 25% of the pharmaceutical products originate from plant or plant-based natural compounds that have contributed to 47% of the anticancerous drugs in the market. Due to the strong need for plant secondary metabolite production on a commercial scale, different in vitro strategies have been used in opposition to traditional methods. The key advantage of in vitro technology is that secondary metabolites can be produced without disturbing the natural populations of plants. This chapter addresses the various in vitro strategies employed to produce secondary metabolites from medicinal plants.