Medicinal Plants with Anti-Ageing Properties : Advances in Biotechnology and Therapeutic Potential

To ensure sustainable production of pharmaceutically significant active metabolites (from natural sources) with anti-aging properties, biotechnological interventions become the need of the hour when global warming and environmental pollution result in increasing UV radiation and, consequently, sunburn and aging of the tissue. In that context, the introductory chapter of this book outlines the concept and importance of medicinal plants available in local, national, and global regions that are rich in bioactive compounds responsible for anti-aging effects, along with their distribution, status, and limitations of conventional propagation and their biotechnological enhancement. The subsequent chapter provides insights into how environmental changes affect the anti-aging properties of metabolites in medicinal plants. There are dedicated chapters that provide insights on the genetic basis of anti-aging activity, the chemistry and physiology of modes of action, as well as the cellular mechanisms of secondary metabolites, along with the role of phytohormones for in vitro mass propagation, somatic embryos, their maturation, and the regeneration of anti-aging medicinal plants. Enhancement of anti-aging properties and the production of secondary metabolites with the interventions of LEDs, cell suspension, elicitation, bioreactor, auto-polyploidization, induced mutagenesis, and nanotechnology, as well as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Apart from genetic improvements, focus is given on conservation and exchange of anti-aging medicinal plants via cryopreservation and synthetic seed technologies. In conclusion, the study comprehensively covers secondary metabolite extraction techniques and the clinical evidence and significance of these metabolites. Expert scientists from 15 different countries, such as Argentina, Belgium, Botswana, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Türkiye, and Vietnam, have contributed 14 insightful chapters to this book. It is noteworthy to mention that there is a sustainable hunt for possible novel anti-aging compounds from natural resources, especially plants and herbs, and this book will be a potential guideline to facilitate that endeavor.