Metabolic engineering in plants: Its application, future prospects with reference to metabolomics

Abstract

Plants are a natural leading exporter of metabolites, which generates a plethora of varied metabolites through a network of interconnected biosynthetic pathways and found to play a variety of functions in plant growth, development and have proved to be essential for mankind as well. In recent catastrophic COVID pandemic plant metabolites have been reported to serve as potent anti-SARS-CoV-2. In this review article, we provided an overview of an alternative approach that may be used to improve the biogenesis and for raising the production of beneficiary plant metabolites in plant system especially those of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical importance. Metabolic engineering is such an example with a lot of potential for developing plant metabolite and to regulate plant metabolism by over expressing or repressing single or multiple structural genes or transcriptional factors. Present review article also discusses the integrated approach of metabolic engineering with metabolomics for tracking metabolite levels as well as studying the dynamic behaviour of plant cell metabolism and nutritional control. Gradually getting acquainted more with plant metabolism, metabolic pathways and their regulation, we shall witness amplified growth and efficacy in these fields. © 2021 MEDIC SCIENTIFIC. All Rights Reserved.