Production of Plant-Derived Natural Compounds Through Hairy Root Culture

The metabolically most active compounds are mainly secondary types of metabolites, which have therapeutic as well as pharmaceutical importance and are basically acquired from the plant through HR-based root culture. This thin, like-hairy root emerged from the injured site after the infection of the soil bacteria Agrobacterium rhizogenes. HR-based root culture is considered a valuable bio-production technique for the improvement of diverse kinds of plant-derived natural compounds. The plant-derived compounds found in the hairy roots are equivalent to those of their mother plant. However, the major limitations of the commercial manufacturing of pharmaceutical compounds via HR-based root culture do not occur under suitable protocols. Apart from this, it is an economically feasible option for sustainable enrichment of vital metabolically active compounds through this recent technique because their roots are normally high producers of pharmaceutical compounds because of their huge growing roots, well-grown in any type of media, and stability in terms of genetic value. The efficacy and commercial utilisation of hairy root culture could be enhanced through implementing novel biochemical methods such as elicitations for improved yield and bioreactor-founded uplifting; however, media composition, nanoparticles, and metabolic engineering have also been beneficial for large-scale production of secondary metabolites. This book chapter outlines the developments of hairy root culture, its application, challenges, and future prospects, as well as recent micropropagation methodologies for the enhancement of pharmaceuticals through HR-based root culture.