Hairy-root technology: A metabolic engineering tool and specialized metabolite pathway elucidation and production of secondary metabolites. A review

Abstract

Plants are primary source of essential secondary metabolites (SMs). Most of these SMs have potential pharmaceutical, medicinal, and nutraceutical applications. However, the SMs accumulate slowly and in low amounts in wild plants. Therefore, yields obtained from wild plant populations are insufficient to meet the need for commercialization. Consequently, this research gap has necessitates an ongoing study to enhance the production of secondary metabolites. Hairy root provides an alternative production of these important secondary metabolites. The transformation method is cost-effective due to its ability to supply fresh plant products throughout the year. Currently, numerous genetic engineering approaches are used for enhancement of metabolite production. This review comprehensively summarizes the application of metabolic engineering in hairy roots technology and possible ways for industrial scale-up to meet desired demand for production.

Keywords

• Hairy roots
• Secondary metabolites
• Metabolic engineering
• Pharmaceutical
• Medicinal plants