Main description:

After the 1988 and 1989 volumes, this is the third volume on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Each of the 29 chapters contributed by international scientists deals with one individual plant genus, namely Atropa, Ageratina, Ailanthus, Aconitum, Apium, Aloe, Akebia, Bidens, Carthamus, Chamomilla, Carum, Citrus, Cymbopogon, Dysosma, Euphorbia, Fritillaria, Glycyrrhiza, Lavandula, Nigella, Pelargonium, Perilla, Podophyllum, Rosa, Scutellaria, Securinega, Solanum, Swertia, Symphytum, Syringa. Their distribution, economic importance, conventional propagation, in-vitro propagation and production of metabolites through tissue culture are treated in detail. Special emphasis is laid on the potential of industrial in-vitro production of plant compounds of medical and pharmaceutical relevance using tissue culture.

Contents:

I Atropa belladonna L.: In Vitro Culture, Regeneration of Plants, Cryopreservation and the Production of Tropane Alkaloids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Culture Studies.- 3 Summary and Conclusions.- References.- II Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) K. & R.: In Vitro Culture and the Production of Secondary Metabolites.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- 4 Protocol.- References.- III Ailanthus altissima (the Tree of Heaven): In Vitro Culture and the Formation of Alkaloids and Quassinoids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions.- References.- IV Aconitum spp. (Monkshood): Somatic Embryogenesis, Plant Regeneration, and the Production of Aconitine and Other Alkaloids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration from Anthers.- 3 Clonal Propagation by Tip Tissue Culture.- 4 Analysis of Aconitine-Type Alkaloids.- 5 Conclusion.- 6 Protocol.- References.- V Apium graveolens L. (Celery): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Flavors.- 1 Occurrence and Importance of Celery.- 2 Composition of Celery Essential Oil.- 3 Extraction and Separation of Celery Essential Oil.- 4 Tissue Culture of Celery.- 5 Production of Flavor Compounds in Celery Tissue Cultures.- 6 Conclusions.- 7 Protocol for Extraction of Essential Oil from Celery.- References.- VI Aloe barbadensis Mill. (A. vera L.).- 1 General Account.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- VII Akebia quinata Decne (Akebi): In Vitro Culture and the Formation of Secondary Metabolites.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusion.- 4 Protocol.- References.- VIII Bidens alba (Smooth Beggar-Tick) and Bidens pilosa (Hairy Beggar-Tick).- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- IX Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower): Production of Vitamin E in Cell Cultures.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Culture of Safflower.- 3 Growth and Tocopherol Production in Safflower Cell Cultures.- 4 Metabolism of Tocopherols.- 5 Increase of Tocopherol Content by Greening of Cells.- 6 Production of Other Compounds.- 7 Conclusions.- References.- X Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert (Camomile): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Secondary Metabolites.- 1 General Account.- 2 Biotechnological Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XI Carum carvi L. (Caraway): In Vitro Culture, Embryogenesis, and the Production of Aromatic Compounds.- 1 General Account.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Plant Development in the Field.- 4 Chromosome Analysis.- 5 Preliminary Reports of Encapsulation of Embryoids and Shoot Tips.- 6 Protocol.- 7 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XII Citrus spp.: In Vitro Culture and the Production of Naringin and Limonin.- 1 General Account.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Protocol.- References.- XIII Cymbopogon Spreng. (Aromatic Grasses): In Vitro Culture, Regeneration, and the Production of Essential Oils.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Protocol.- 4 Conclusion and Prospects.- References.- XIV Dysosma pleiantha (Hance) Woodson: Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Tissue Culture Studies.- 3 Conclusion and Prospects.- References.- XV Euphorbia spp.: In Vitro Culture and the Production of Anthocyanins.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XVI Fritillaria spp. (Fritillary): In Vitro Culture and the Regeneration of Plants.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusion and Prospects.- References.- XVII Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Licorice): Cell Culture, Regeneration, and the Production of Glycyrrhizin.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Culture of Licorice.- 3 Secondary Metabolites from Tissue Cultures.- 4 Protocol.- 5 Conclusion.- References.- XVIII Lavandula spp. (Lavender): In Vitro Culture, Regeneration of Plants, and the Formation of Essential Oils and Pigments.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- 4 Protocol.- References.- XIX Nigella spp.: In Vitro Culture, Regeneration, and the Formation of Secondary Metabolites.- 1 Characteristics of the Whole Plants and Their Secondary Metabolites.- 2 Callus Cultures and Regeneration of Plants.- 3 Cell Suspension Cultures of Nigella.- 4 Concluding Remarks.- 5 Protocol.- References.- XX Pelargonium spp. (Geranium): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Aromatic Compounds.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Biotechnological Approaches.- 3 Future Prospects.- References.- XXI Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton: In Vitro Culture and the Production of Caffeic Acid.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XXII Podophyllum spp.: In Vitro Regeneration and the Production of Podophyllotoxins.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XXIII Rosa spp. (Roses): In Vitro Culture, Micropropagation, and the Production of Secondary Products.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Culture in Vitro.- 3 Protocols.- 4 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XXIV Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi: In Vitro Culture and the Production of Flavonoids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approach.- 3 Conclusion.- References.- XXV Securinega suffruticosa: In Vitro Culture and the Formation of Securinega Alkaloids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.- XXVI Solanum eleagnifolium Cav. (Silverleaf Nightshade): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Solasodine.- 1 General Account.- 2 In Vitro Approach.- 3 Summary and Conclusions.- 4 Protocol.- References.- XXVII Swertia spp.: In Vitro Culture, Regeneration, and the Production of Secondary Metabolites.- 1 Introduction.- 2 In Vitro Approaches.- 3 Secondary Metabolites.- 4 Conclusion and Prospects.- References.- XXVIII Symphytum officinale (Comfrey): In Vitro Culture, Regeneration, and Biogenesis of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Initiation, Maintenance, and Regeneration of in Vitro Cultures.- 3 Investigations of Ploidy Levels of in Vitro Cultures of a Cytotype.- 4 Biogenetic Properties of Cell Suspension Cultures and Regenerating Calli.- 5 Polyamines, Precursors of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Biosynthesis.- 6 Summary and Conclusions.- References.- XXIX Syringa vulgaris L. (Common Lilac): In Vitro Culture and the Occurrence and Biosynthesis of Phenylpropanoid Glycosides.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Distribution of Phenylpropanoid Glycosides.- 3 Establishment of Cultures and Growth Characteristics.- 4 Extraction and Identification of Phenylpropanoid Glycosides.- 5 Studies on the Biosynthesis of Verbascoside.- 6 Conclusions and Prospects.- References.