Scrutinizing the role of Genetically Modified Herbs (GMHs) in the Treatment of Various Diseases

Abstract

Background: Medicinal plants are being manipulated by the variety of methods with genes. Genetic engineering is the alteration of genetic material of an organism via biotechnology techniques. Wide range of genetically modified medicinal plants are diligently examined possessing therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of various diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Objective: This review discloses the numerous genetically modified herbs employed in the treatment of diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. In addition, the review highlights the therapeutically active constituents present in these herbs, which are liable for their specific pharmacological action. Methods: Several review, research papers, and patents highlighting the enormous aptitude of genetically modified herbs in the treatment of various diseases were collected from medical databases, and are exhaustively studied for writing this review paper. Results: Due to rapid advancement in the phytochemical investigation of therapeutically active plants, and because of their potential to treat these disorders, they are being rapidly promoted and favoured nowadays. Moreover, a range of active constituents can be isolated from natural plants that can be employed in the treatment of various disorders, and due to their less toxicity they are preferred over synthetic products. Conclusion: Utilizing genetically modified herbs, like Azadirachta indica, Allium cepa, Acacia arabica, Allium sativum, and herbal formulations like flaxseed oil, green tea, and many more appear to be a pioneerstrategy in the therapy of these diseases, but still further investigation is required to overcome the negative outcomes of these herbs.