Modulation of Secondary Metabolites among Mexican Medicinal Plants by Using Elicitors and Biotechnology Techniques

María Adelina Jiménez-Arellanes,Mariana Z Pérez-González

doi:10.5772/intechopen.99888

Abstract

Medicinal plants are being utilized as raw material and the use has increased in recent decades due that these biosynthesize compounds with several pharmacological activities. Some plant species with biological potential are of interest to the industry for preparation of drugs, phytodrugs, or food supplements. This causes overexploitation and deforestation, which endangers plant species-of-interest. In recent years, alternatives have been sought to eradicate this problem. A solution that was give and is maintained is plant biotechnology, which favors the production of active Secondary Metabolites (SMt). Plant biotechnology allows us to increase the yield of a compound-of-interest, reduces its production times and costs, and allows constant and controlled production of the raw material, and while aiding in the protection of medicinal plants that are found in danger of extinction. In the scientific literature, procuring the SMt by means of biotechnological processes is described, highlighting the study of four species from Mexican traditional medicine (Lopezia racemosa, Galphimia glauca, Cnidoscolus chayamansa, Sphaeralceae angustifolia and Buddleja cordata), and the main biological activities are as follows: anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotector, neuroprotector, anxiolytic, antitumoral, antibacterial, and antioxidant, among others.

Highlights

Ever since our ancestors, humanity has been dependent on the consumption of plants as a source of food, health, and for construction/ornamental
The purpose of this paper is to summarize all the information that exists on the use of biotechnological processes for the production of bioactive compounds from Mexican medicinal plants
A similar effect was observed in the light–dark paradigm test: time spent in the light box increased in treated mice

Summary

Introduction

Humanity has been dependent on the consumption of plants as a source of food, health, and for construction/ornamental. SMt are compounds that do not play a fundamental role in the vital processes of plants, but they are important as mechanisms of defense. They are responsible for Phenolic Compounds organoleptic and protective properties, such as odor, flavor, color, and consistency. These SMt act as chemoattractants or chemorepellents. They are of great interest in industry for the preparation of food additives, agrochemicals, essences, biodiesel, narcotics, insecticides, cosmetics, and aromatics, and one of the most important of these is for the production of substances with pharmaceutical interest. The production of SMt wild-collected plant is very low (less than 1% of the plant’s Dry Weight -DW-), and this depends on the plant’s physiological state, the geographic location, the climate, among other factors [2]

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