Valeriana officinalis L. and its constituents in novel epigenetic approaches in plant tissue cultures

Currently, 8 out of 10 drugs used to treat human diseases, including cancer, have a plant origin or incorporate derivatives of plant secondary metabolites. In the present study, it was found that one of the constituents of common medicinal herb- Valeriana officinalis, could modulate gene expression in plants, acting on the basis of chromatin remodeling. Genes whose expression is activated upon the treatment with the studied substance are involved in plant embryonic development and production of valuable secondary metabolites. Due to its simple structure and low price, the studied compound could be used as a first-of-its-kind epigenetic elicitor which enhances the production of natural pharmaceuticals in plant tissue cultures.