Plant secondary metabolism evolved in the context of highly organized and differentiated cells and tissues, featuring massive chemical complexity operating under tight environmental, developmental and genetic control. Biotechnological demand for natural products has been continuously increasing because of their significant value and new applications, mainly as pharmaceuticals. Aseptic production systems of plant secondary metabolites have improved considerably, constituting an attractive tool for increased, stable and large-scale supply of valuable molecules. Surprisingly, to date, only a few examples including taxol, shikonin, berberine and artemisinin have emerged as success cases of commercial production using this strategy. The present review focuses on the main characteristics of plant specialized metabolism and their implications for current strategies used to produce secondary compounds in axenic cultivation systems. The search for consonance between plant secondary metabolism unique features and various in vitro culture systems, including cell, tissue, organ, and engineered cultures, as well as heterologous expression in microbial platforms, is discussed. Data to date strongly suggest that attaining full potential of these biotechnology production strategies requires being able to take advantage of plant specialized metabolism singularities for improved target molecule yields and for bypassing inherent difficulties in its rational manipulation.

• Keywords
• Genetically engineered cultures, In vitro culture, Natural products, Secondary metabolites, Synthetic biology,
• MeSH
• Artemisinins isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Axenic Culture MeSH
• Berberine isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Biological Products isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Biotechnology methods   MeSH
• Cell Culture Techniques MeSH
• Phytochemicals biosynthesis   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Metabolic Engineering methods   MeSH
• Naphthoquinones isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Paclitaxel biosynthesis   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Plant Cells chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Plants chemistry   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Secondary Metabolism MeSH
• Tissue Culture Techniques MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• artemisinin MeSH Browser
• Artemisinins MeSH
• Berberine MeSH
• Biological Products MeSH
• Phytochemicals MeSH
• Naphthoquinones MeSH
• Paclitaxel MeSH
• shikonin MeSH Browser

There is an increasing need for the discovery of reliable and eco-friendly pesticides and natural plant-derived products may play a crucial role as source of new active compounds. In this research, a lipophilic extract of Onosma visianii roots extract containing 12% of shikonin derivatives demonstrated significant toxicity and inhibition of oviposition against Tetranychus urticae mites. Extensive chromatographic separation allowed the isolation of 11 naphthoquinone derivatives that were identified by spectral techniques and were tested against Tetranychus urticae. All the isolated compounds presented effects against the considered mite and isobutylshikonin (1) and isovalerylshikonin (2) were the most active, being valuable model compounds for the study of new anti-mite agents.

• Keywords
• Onosma visianii, Tetranychus urticae, biopesticide, eco-friendly insecticide, shikonin derivatives,
• MeSH
• Acaricides chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Boraginaceae chemistry   MeSH
• Plant Roots chemistry   MeSH
• Naphthoquinones chemistry   MeSH
• Plant Extracts chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Tetranychidae drug effects   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Acaricides MeSH
• Naphthoquinones MeSH
• Plant Extracts MeSH
• shikonin MeSH Browser