Strategies in Using Elicitors for the Production of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites in Plant Cell Cultures

Plants have valuable secondary metabolites that can be used in various fields such as medicine, cosmetics, flavor, renewable fuels, and foods. However, the production of secondary metabolites in a large scale from plants has limitations due to environmental factors. In vitro plant tissue cultures, which is independent of the external environment, can be an effective alternative approach to conventional cultivation methods. Elicitation is a technique involving the exogenous addition of abiotic or biotic elicitors to trigger a stress response. The improved production of the secondary metabolites through elicitation can provide economic benefits to various industries. Therefore, plant cell cultures and elicitation are useful techniques that can enhance the content of bioactive secondary metabolites and can be used for industrial applications. As the importance of anti-aging and eco-friendly materials is highlighted in an aging society, the value of using plant-derived bioactive substances is increasing. The main aim of this review is to summarize the methods of plant cell cultures and elicitation used for the production of important secondary metabolites.