Vanilla tissue cultures

For example, vanillin can be obtained via at least five different ways (i) by isolation from the orchid (Vanilla planifolia), which is a very expensive method (ii) by tissue culture followed by extraction (iii) by microbial transformation of eugenol, the main compound of clove (iv) from lignine by synthesis, and (v) from guaiacol, a natural aroma compound, with comparable molecular structure. Only the vanillin obtained via the first three methods is natural. The other routes afford a nature-identical vanillin. 

Recent developments in plant tissue culture and the need to gain control on bean quality and yield turns our aitemiou to this method as iinolhcr approach to solve some of the problems associated with the agronomic production of vanilla (5). Plant tissue culture can be used for three different objectives 1. micropropagaiion 2. production of secondary products and 3. study of biosynthetic pathways. 

Podstolski, A., et al.. Unusual 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde synthase activity fiom tissue cultures of the vanilla orchid Vanilla planifolia. Phytochemistry, 2002. 61(6) p. 611-620. 

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