Hairy root culture: a potent method for improved secondary metabolite production of Solanaceous plants

Abstract

Secondary metabolites synthesized by the Solanaceous plants are of major therapeutic and pharmaceutical importance, many of which are commonly obtained from the roots of these plants. ‘Hairy roots’, mirroring the same phytochemical pattern of the corresponding root of the parent plant with higher growth rate and productivity, are therefore extensively studied as an effective alternative for the in vitro production of these metabolites. Hairy roots are the transformed roots, generated from the infection site of the wounded plants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. With their fast growth, being free from pathogen and herbicide contamination, genetic stability, and autotrophic nature for plant hormones, hairy roots are considered as useful bioproduction systems for specialized metabolites. Lately, several elicitation methods have been employed to enhance the accumulation of these compounds in the hairy root cultures for both small and large-scale production. Nevertheless, in the latter case, the cultivation of hairy roots in bioreactors should still be optimized. Hairy roots can also be utilized for metabolic engineering of the regulatory genes in the metabolic pathways leading to enhanced production of metabolites. The present study summarizes the updated and modern biotechnological aspects for enhanced production of secondary metabolites in the hairy root cultures of the plants of Solanaceae and their respective importance.

Hernandulcin Production in Elicited Hairy Roots of Phyla scaberrima: Toward Sustainable Production of a Non‐Caloric Sweetener with Nutraceutical Properties

“…confirm that the transformation process to generate hairy roots of P. scaberrima using two different strains of A. rhizogenes (A4 and 1500) results in a favorable increase of HE. It is well known that the random insertion of the Ri plasmid from A. rhizogenes into the plant may enhance secondary metabolite production, as reported in several plant species infected with this bacterium [10] . Hairy roots are often preferred as biotechnological platforms to obtain secondary metabolites over direct extraction from naturally grown plants to avoid complex extraction protocols [10] .…”

“…It is well known that the random insertion of the Ri plasmid from A. rhizogenes into the plant may enhance secondary metabolite production, as reported in several plant species infected with this bacterium. [10] Hairy roots are often preferred as biotechnological platforms to obtain secondary metabolites over direct extraction from naturally grown plants to avoid complex extraction protocols. [10] According to our analytical tests, HE was found in the culture medium and biomass in batch cultures (Figure S1).…”

“…[10] Hairy roots are often preferred as biotechnological platforms to obtain secondary metabolites over direct extraction from naturally grown plants to avoid complex extraction protocols. [10] According to our analytical tests, HE was found in the culture medium and biomass in batch cultures (Figure S1). These results suggest that hairy roots are able to excrete HE and other compounds into the culture medium.…”

Elicitation boosts withaferin A and withanolide A production in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal hairy root cultures

“…Recent research has indicated that the exogenous application of elicitors is a potential tool for interacting with membrane receptors and activating speci c genes, leading to the stimulation of target bioactive secondary metabolite production (Gharari et al 2020;Jeyasri et al 2023;Biswas et al 2023). This study demonstrated that the elicitation of MJ or SA in W. somnifera hairy root cultures signi cantly enhanced the production of withanolide A and withaferin A.…”

Effects of Different Solvents on the Extraction of Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds, and Antioxidant Activities, in Scutellaria baicalensis Hairy Roots

“…Hairy roots (HRs) can be obtained through Agrobacterium rhizogenes infection, which results in fast growth and the highest production of specialised natural compounds due to their biochemical and genetic stability [13,14]. Previous studies reported that HRs are one the best sources for the production of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in S. baicalensis.…”