Question

Which technique is most widely preferred for the industrial production of plant secondary metabolites?

• A. Meristem culture
• B. Cell suspension culture
• C. Protoplast culture
• D. Organ culture

Hint:

Remember:
• Meristem culture $\rightarrow$ Virus-free plants
• Protoplast culture $\rightarrow$ Somatic hybridization
• Cell suspension culture $\rightarrow$ Industrial production of secondary metabolites

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Plant secondary metabolites are organic compounds that are not directly involved in plant growth and development but possess immense medicinal, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial importance. Cell suspension culture is the most suitable technique for their large-scale commercial production.
• Secondary metabolites include alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and essential oils.
• Cell suspension cultures consist of rapidly dividing cells growing freely in a liquid nutrient medium.
• The method allows large-scale cultivation in bioreactors under controlled conditions.
• It provides continuous production with high yield and easy harvesting of metabolites.

Step 1: Understand cell suspension culture.
A callus obtained from plant tissue is transferred into a liquid nutrient medium and continuously agitated. The agitation keeps the cells suspended and ensures uniform supply of nutrients and oxygen. \[ \boxed{\text{Callus} \longrightarrow \text{Liquid medium} \longrightarrow \text{Cell suspension}} \]

Step 2: Why is it preferred industrially?
Cell suspension culture is ideal for industrial production because:
• It allows rapid multiplication of plant cells.
• Large volumes can be grown in bioreactors.
• Environmental conditions such as pH, temperature and aeration can be precisely controlled.
• Valuable secondary metabolites can be harvested throughout the culture period. Therefore, industries prefer this method for commercial production of medicinal compounds.

Step 3: Eliminate the incorrect options.

• Meristem culture is mainly used for producing virus-free plants.
• Protoplast culture is used for somatic hybridization and genetic studies.
• Organ culture is mainly employed to maintain isolated plant organs for developmental studies. Hence, \[ \boxed{Option (B) is the correct answer. \]