Treatment of microbial infections has become more challenging with the
evolution of antibiotic resistant microbes and indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Several
phytochemicals have shown potential inhibitory action against such microbes. These
antimicrobials have shown their efficacy in treating such infections. These natural
products also played significant role in restoration of activity of less effective
antibiotics, when used in combination with antibiotics. But still, scientists are facing
some major challenges in using such metabolites for medicines- there is urgent need to
explore more plants showing microbial inhibition activity, plant products from field
grown plants are not sufficient to meet the growing demand and purification of
antimicrobial compounds, so that dosage for patients can be finalized. Tissue culture
has emerged as great technology not only in the conservation of such medicinal plants
but it provides major application for the production of secondary metabolites. Various
micropropagules such as calli, in vitro cultures, and cell suspensions have shown their
potential for the production of pharmaceutically active compounds similar to mature
plants. Production of such phytochemicals can be enhanced by manipulating media
supplements, culture conditions and elicitations. As, in nature production of
antimicrobials is the result of interaction between the plants and microbes, therefore,
such interaction can be provided to in vitro cultures by biotic elicitation. In vitro
production of antimicrobial compounds has been reported in many plants such as
Ricinus communis, Calendula officinalis, Abrus precatorius, etc. Thus, plant tissue
culture paves an efficient and feasible method of production of such natural compounds
as an alternative of antibiotics.
Keywords: Antibiotic, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Elicitation, Inhibition, Metabolites, Micropropagules, Pathogenic, Precursor.
