Improvement of Ginseng by In Vitro Culture Challenges and Opportunities

The genus Panax belongs to the taxonomic family Araliaceae and consists of many species that are commonly referred to as ginseng. The plants are perennial herbs that grow mostly in the wild and only a few are cultivated. Geographically, they are mainly distributed in North America and northeast Asia. The species contain bioactive chemicals including ginsenosides that have some clinical evidence for the treatment of medical ailments ranging from the common cold, diabetes, and cancer to neurological disorders. Ginseng is mainly propagated by seeds that can be difficult to germinate and often produce plants that are of variable characteristics and quality. In the natural habitat, the Panax species have a production cycle of 3–7 years from seedling to harvest. Research into the in vitro culture of ginseng cells, tissues, and organs began in the 1960s, and by 1980 methods for large-scale propagation were established. With in vitro culture methodologies, plant production can be controlled in terms of both quality and quantity. In vitro methods of micropropagation can reduce the lengthy plant production cycle and can preserve unique genotypes and phenotypes. Micropropagation also allows a more rapid multiplication of plants of superior quality and genetic uniformity than seedling production. This chapter provides a general overview of ginseng growth characteristics, development, and an update on the major scientific research contributions of the in vitro culture techniques for improving the cultivation of Panax species.