Chapter 10 - Somatic embryogenesis in medicinal plants

Abstract

Medicinal plants are a lifeline for human health. They have been widely used in traditional systems of medicines all over the world since ancient times. They are a good source of natural products and are used in drug development programs. These plants are ruthlessly exploited by people from wild for commercial applications. This has resulted in the extinction of several valuable medicinal plants. Somatic embryogenesis is the process through which we can produce embryos converted into complete plants. These somatic embryos (whose process is usually completed in three steps: induction, maturation, and germination) can be induced directly on the explants or through callus, depending on the optimization of media, growth regulators, and other factors. These somatic embryos are helpful in micropropagation, conservation, secondary metabolite production, and genetic transformation. Somatic embryogenesis has been reported in different medicinal plants. This review will focus on the reports of somatic embryo induction in different medicinal plants and their exploitation for different purposes. The molecular mechanism behind this process is also highlighted in the report for a better understanding of the process.