Plants are an important source of secondary metabolites that have been used throughout
history as drugs, pesticides, pigments, flavors and fragrances. However, one of the main constraints to
the use of cultivated plants as a source of these metabolites is the ability to ensure the constant and
efficient supply of the compounds, since the yields are usually affected by the genetic background, as
well as by the geographic location, edaphic and climatic conditions at the site of cultivation, combined
with the potential effect of harvest and transport methods. The use of plant tissue culture has been
proposed as an alternative to conventional agriculture for the production of secondary metabolites due
to the possibility of controlling the quality and quantity of the compound of interest by controlling the
factors affecting its synthesis and/or accumulation. Recent advances in the field of plant biotechnology
show the potential of using plant cell and tissue cultures as a source for the large-scale production of
valuable secondary metabolites instead of using whole plants and subsequent extensive land
exploitation. Moreover, the employment of molecular biology techniques has allowed for obtaining
novel products from genetically engineered plants.
Keywords: Secondary metabolites, biological activity, plant cell culture, tissue culture, biotechnology,
mass production, culture medium, organ culture, cell suspension, explants, callus, Agave tequilana, elicitor.