Application of molecular farming based on barley plant (Hordeum vulgare L.) platform: A Review

Abstract

Historically, humans have used plants as a source of medicine since ancient times. But the use of transgenic plants in molecular farming is a major source of molecular drugs. The use of molecular farming offers a promising prospect for producing of large-scale, low-cost pharmaceutical and industrial compounds. The results of this research include the production of plasma proteins, enzymes, growth factors, vaccines and antibodies. As plants can offer an inexpensive and convenient platform for the large-scale production of recombinant proteins with various functions, the driven force from the giant market for recombinant protein pharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes makes this subject grow and advance very quickly. With an increased demand for biopharmaceuticals, high costs, and inefficiency of current production systems, transgenic plants have received more attention as a new generation of bioreactors; but determining the best plant platform for the expression of recombinant proteins is one of the critical issues in molecular farming. So far, several expression platforms on this basis for the production of foreign proteins have been evaluated. Among these, the use of dry cereal seeds is one of the most efficient methods used to accumulate recombinant proteins. On the other hand, barley is a right candidate for recombinant protein expression platforms due to its easy cultivation management, high protein content, and low protein diversity, high adaptability to climatic conditions and low production costs. Besides, the highly self-pollinating nature of barley, along with its inability to produce fertile hybrids with related crops or wild species, creates a genetic mechanism, which practically prevents the unwanted dispersion of genetically modified germplasm under field conditions. Iran is also one of the centers of barley diversity in the Middle East, and the vast genetic variety, and nativeness of barley in this region is of particular importance to breeders.