Question

Production of secondary metabolites require the use of -

• A. Cell suspension
• B. Solid agar medium
• C. Meristem
• D. Axillary bud

Hint:

Associate {liquid cultures (cell suspension)} with the production of biochemicals and large-scale applications in bioreactors. Associate {solid cultures (agar)} with plant regeneration, cloning (micropropagation), and callus maintenance.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks for the most suitable in vitro culture technique for the production of secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are organic compounds produced by plants that are not directly involved in the normal growth, development, or reproduction (e.g., alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids), but often have important ecological functions or medicinal properties.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
For commercial or large-scale production of specific chemical compounds from plants, a method is needed that can be easily scaled up and controlled.
Cell suspension culture: This technique involves growing individual cells or small aggregates of cells in a liquid medium inside a flask or a large bioreactor. This method is ideal for producing secondary metabolites because it allows for uniform growth conditions, easy control of nutrient levels and pH, and straightforward extraction of the desired compounds from the medium or cells.
Solid agar medium: This is used to grow callus or to induce organogenesis. It is not suitable for large-scale, uniform production and extraction of chemical compounds.
Meristem culture: This technique is used to cultivate the apical meristem to produce virus-free plants. Its primary goal is clonal propagation, not metabolite production.
Axillary bud culture: This is another method of micropropagation (cloning) to produce a large number of plants, not for harvesting chemicals.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Cell suspension cultures in bioreactors are the standard method for the industrial production of secondary metabolites from plant cells.