Articles
Enhancing bioactive compound production in Artemisia annua through controlled environment cultivation
Article number
1441_25
Pages
199 – 208
Language
English
Abstract
Medicinal plants are a vital global resource, and controlled cultivation offers a promising avenue for maximizing the therapeutic potential of phytochemicals.
Growing medicinal plants in environments such as vertical farming facilities allows for the production of plants with predictable levels of biologically active compounds, crucial for the pharmaceutical industry.
However, current cultivation protocols in vertical farms typically prioritize biomass production over the stimulation of secondary compound accumulation.
This situation creates a dilemma: can we grow these plants in a way that both the plant size and the chemical content are optimized? This review examines two examples of external triggers that induce the accumulation of secondary compounds with minimal impact on biomass.
The first, root illumination, enhances the accumulation of artemisinin in the shoot without affecting its levels in roots.
The second, heterogeneous nutrient supply, does not significantly alter artemisinin accumulation in Artemisia annua leaves but does increase its exudation from roots under nutrient-deficient conditions, particularly with nitrogen and phosphorus.
Conversely, localized iron deficiency specifically boosts artemisinin accumulation in the roots.
Future research should focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind these responses and exploring additional environmental factors that can be optimized in vertical farming systems to enhance the phytochemical yield of medicinal plants.
Growing medicinal plants in environments such as vertical farming facilities allows for the production of plants with predictable levels of biologically active compounds, crucial for the pharmaceutical industry.
However, current cultivation protocols in vertical farms typically prioritize biomass production over the stimulation of secondary compound accumulation.
This situation creates a dilemma: can we grow these plants in a way that both the plant size and the chemical content are optimized? This review examines two examples of external triggers that induce the accumulation of secondary compounds with minimal impact on biomass.
The first, root illumination, enhances the accumulation of artemisinin in the shoot without affecting its levels in roots.
The second, heterogeneous nutrient supply, does not significantly alter artemisinin accumulation in Artemisia annua leaves but does increase its exudation from roots under nutrient-deficient conditions, particularly with nitrogen and phosphorus.
Conversely, localized iron deficiency specifically boosts artemisinin accumulation in the roots.
Future research should focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind these responses and exploring additional environmental factors that can be optimized in vertical farming systems to enhance the phytochemical yield of medicinal plants.
Publication
Authors
M. Paponov, J. Ziegler, P. Lama, I.A. Paponov
Keywords
secondary metabolism, hydroponics, root hairs, Artemisia annua, artemisinin, root lighting, split-root system
Groups involved
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Working Group Vertical Farming
- Working Group Urban Horticulture
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