ABSTRACT
The production of useful compounds has fascinated many Japanese scientists studying plant cell and tissue cultures ever since the technology was transferred from Western countries about 30 years ago. Studies in this category mainly involve substituting cultured cells or organs for cultivated and wild plant materials that are used as raw materials in pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals. Enhanced production has been attempted by medium optimization, selection of highly productive cell lines, and other conventional techniques. High-density culture can be applied to root cultures as well as to cell cultures. An economic evaluation of this culture method is forthcoming. In many studies, cultured cells and organs are used in the analysis without any special treatment to induce metabolite production during culture. In addition to regulatory factors, the production site of secondary metabolites and the mechanisms of their accumulation and transport are important subjects in understanding regulatory mechanisms.
