In vitro Production of Plant Bioactive Compounds Enhanced by Nanoparticle Elicitation

Elicitation is a well-established biotechnological strategy to increase the production of secondary metabolites. It is viable, effective, and widely used to induce the biosynthesis of new bioactive compounds or enhance the accumulation of phytochemicals in the in vitro culture of cells, tissues, organs, or whole plants. Nanomaterials are emerging as a new class of elicitors. In particular, nanoparticles are of great interest due to their physicochemical characteristics and lower toxicity than their ionic forms. The biological activities of nanoparticles focus on their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antitumor properties. The study of their role as elicitors of secondary metabolism has generated interest due to the implications in the pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural sectors. This chapter addresses the role of metal nanoparticles as elicitors for the in vitro production of different specialized plant metabolites, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, or glycosides, among others. In addition to the type of metabolites obtained by elicitation, information is provided on their biological activity and application. Also, the relation between the characteristics of nanoparticles (type, size, and concentration) and their efficiency in the induction of synthesis and accumulation of bioactive compounds, as well as possible phytotoxic or hormetic effects in plant in vitro culture, is discussed. © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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