African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 2 (12), pp. 547-556, December 2003

ISSN 1684-5315  © 2003 Academic Journals

Review

Anthemideae: advances in tissue culture, genetics and transgenic biotechnology

Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva

Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Ikenobe, 2393, Kagawa-ken, 761-0795, Japan. Telfax: +81 (0)72 726 8178. E-mail: jaimetex@lycos.com.

Accepted 2 December 2003

Members of the Anthemideae include important floricultural (cut-flower) and ornamental (pot and garden) crops, as well as plants of medicinal and ethno-pharmacological interest. Despite the use of many of these plants (over 1400 species) in the extraction of important secondary metabolites and essential oils, the greatest emphasis has been on their in vitro tissue culture and micropropagation. Few studies have been conducted on genetic transformation, with those primarily focused on increasing yield of compounds in plants. This review, the first and only available for plants within this Family, highlights all the available literature that exists on Anthemideae (excluding ornamental chrysanthemums) in vitro cell, tissue and organ culture, micropropagation and transformation.

Key words: Achillea, Anthemis, Artemisia, Matricaria, Santolina, Tanacetum.