Title : Biotechnological methods for optimizing secondary metabolite production in plants for pharmaceuticals
Abstract:
The escalating demand for pharmaceuticals derived from natural sources has catalyzed extensive research aimed at optimizing the synthesis of secondary metabolites in plants. Secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolics, are crucial to contemporary medicine owing to their wide-ranging therapeutic properties. Nevertheless, the limited yield of these metabolites within natural plant systems constitutes considerable constraint. Recent progress in biotechnological methodologies, encompassing metabolic engineering, elicitor treatments, and synthetic biology, has emerged as revolutionary approaches to address this challenge. Metabolic engineering is centered on the alteration of biosynthetic pathways in plants to boost the production of specific metabolites. Elicitor treatments, which involve both biotic and abiotic stress inducers, have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Moreover, synthetic biology provides a framework for reconstructing entire biosynthetic pathways within microbial or heterologous hosts, thereby facilitating scalable production. The ramifications of such biotechnological advancements extend past pharmaceutical manufacturing, encompassing sustainable agricultural practices and the establishment of bio-based industries.
