Ginseng

초록

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has been used as an important oriental medicine since ancient times. Ginseng roots, one of the most famous and expensive crude drugs, are commonly used to promote the quality of life. Cultivation of P. ginseng is difficult because of its long cultivation period of more than 4 years, its sun shading, absence of recurring cultivation and various diseases. Conventional breeding of P. ginseng is also difficult and impractical since the procedure takes more than 50 years. In view of these facts, biotechnological applications are being considered as an alternative approach for ginseng improvement and propagation and the production of raw materials for medicinal use. Research in ginseng biotechnology has been extensive in recent years. Here, recent advances in ginseng biotechnology are discussed, including cell, tissue and organ culture, plant regeneration and genetic transformation, metabolic engineering and genomics. © 2007, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.