Open Access

REVIEW

Conservation Strategy for African Medicinal Species: In Vitro Biotechnological Approach

Priyanka Jha¹, Swati Chahal^2,3, Devendra Kumar Pandey^2,3, Joginder Singh⁴, Ram Prasad^5,*, Vijay Kumar^2,3,*
1 Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700156, India
2 Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
3 Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
4 Department of Microbiology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
5 Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, 845401, India
* Corresponding Authors: Ram Prasad. Email: ; ; Vijay Kumar. Email:
(This article belongs to this Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolites: Recent Advances and Opportunities)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2020, 89(4), 779-794. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2020.09421

Received 12 December 2019; Accepted 20 March 2020; Issue published 09 November 2020

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants for different therapeutic values is well documented in African continent. African diverse biodiversity hotspots provide a wide range of endemic species, which ensures a potential medicinal value. The feasible conservation approach and sustainable harvesting for the medicinal species remains a huge challenge. However, conservation approach through different biotechnological tools such as micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, synthetic seed production, hairy root culture, molecular markers based study and cryopreservation of endemic African medicinal species is much crucial. In this review, an attempt has been made to provide different in vitro biotechnological approaches for the conservation of African medicinal species. The present review will be helpful in further technology development and deciding the priorities at decision-making levels for in vitro conservation and sustainable use of African medicinal species.

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Keywords

Biotechnological approach; conservation; medicinal plant; African traditional medicine (ATM); start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT); somatic embryogenesis

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