1.1 Introduction
Nowadays, plants are the primary sources of food and medicine for mankind. High
efficacy and lesser side effects are the main advantage of plant metabolites (Sato and
Matsui 2012). Not only that, synthetic molecules are carry various side and adverse
effects to our body system (Hesketh et al. 2002). Natural sources contain diversified
medicinal component such as alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoids; those
are essential for maintaining body immune system. Plants are capable to cultivate a
diversified source of natural metabolites; those are important to link up the behavior
of other organism. Also, in present time exposure to air pollution, water pollution,
ultraviolet ray exposure and deforestation are the most common fact to our nature
and our life style. Natural sources are also helps to protect us from these abiotic
changes (Hiroaki et al. 2012). In this situation ancient folkloric knowledge of plants
and their metabolites is the primary weapon to conquer against various viruses,
pathogens, bacteria and their mutant strains. Also in this era different complex
structure of secondary metabolites is developed using recombinant DNA technology. As per the definition, metabolites are compounds produced by plants for
essential functions (Buchanan et al. 2015); as growth and development (primary
metabolites), as well as specific functions as pollinator attraction or defense
mechanism. Also metabolites are organic compounds procured from
enzyme-dependent chemical reactions of organism known as metabolic pathways
(Lena 2012). Nowadays there is a tremendous demand of various plant derived
product as health supplement, natural flavors, natural colors, but due to natural
calamity and lesser growth of the secondary metabolites the producer does not able
to fulfil the demand of the market. Plant tissue culture is one of the way to cope up
with the market demand of secondary metabolites (such as alkaloids, glycosides,
terpenoids, flavonoids etc.) and helps to over produce the secondary metabolites
(Pichersky and Gang 2000). Actually plant tissue culture comprised of clonal
propagation, callus formation and formation of germplasm using a perfect combination of plant hormones, temperature, humidity and elicitors. Tissue culture is not
only helps to generate secondary metabolites but also participate in seed germination, improvement of crop quality, immobilization, biomass accumulation,
micropropagation and existence of some rare plants (those are lost during evolution) (Jensen et al. 2014). Tissue culture mainly focused on shortening of biosynthetic process of plant cell, higher cell division and metabolism; these all factors are
cumulatively increase the growth of secondary metabolites. This chapter mainly
focus on the role of elicitors on the production of secondary metabolites.
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S. Saha and D. Pal
Nowadays, plants are the primary sources of food and medicine for mankind. High
efficacy and lesser side effects are the main advantage of plant metabolites (Sato and
Matsui 2012). Not only that, synthetic molecules are carry various side and adverse
effects to our body system (Hesketh et al. 2002). Natural sources contain diversified
medicinal component such as alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoids; those
are essential for maintaining body immune system. Plants are capable to cultivate a
diversified source of natural metabolites; those are important to link up the behavior
of other organism. Also, in present time exposure to air pollution, water pollution,
ultraviolet ray exposure and deforestation are the most common fact to our nature
and our life style. Natural sources are also helps to protect us from these abiotic
changes (Hiroaki et al. 2012). In this situation ancient folkloric knowledge of plants
and their metabolites is the primary weapon to conquer against various viruses,
pathogens, bacteria and their mutant strains. Also in this era different complex
structure of secondary metabolites is developed using recombinant DNA technology. As per the definition, metabolites are compounds produced by plants for
essential functions (Buchanan et al. 2015); as growth and development (primary
metabolites), as well as specific functions as pollinator attraction or defense
mechanism. Also metabolites are organic compounds procured from
enzyme-dependent chemical reactions of organism known as metabolic pathways
(Lena 2012). Nowadays there is a tremendous demand of various plant derived
product as health supplement, natural flavors, natural colors, but due to natural
calamity and lesser growth of the secondary metabolites the producer does not able
to fulfil the demand of the market. Plant tissue culture is one of the way to cope up
with the market demand of secondary metabolites (such as alkaloids, glycosides,
terpenoids, flavonoids etc.) and helps to over produce the secondary metabolites
(Pichersky and Gang 2000). Actually plant tissue culture comprised of clonal
propagation, callus formation and formation of germplasm using a perfect combination of plant hormones, temperature, humidity and elicitors. Tissue culture is not
only helps to generate secondary metabolites but also participate in seed germination, improvement of crop quality, immobilization, biomass accumulation,
micropropagation and existence of some rare plants (those are lost during evolution) (Jensen et al. 2014). Tissue culture mainly focused on shortening of biosynthetic process of plant cell, higher cell division and metabolism; these all factors are
cumulatively increase the growth of secondary metabolites. This chapter mainly
focus on the role of elicitors on the production of secondary metabolites.
2
S. Saha and D. Pal