In Vitro Manipulations for Value Addition in Potent Herbal Insecticidal Activities of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium

The Chrysanthemum genus belongs to the genus Asteraceae which covers up to 15% of all the species of this genus. The natural insecticidal compound pyrethrin is found in C. cinerariaefolium and mostly found in the aerial parts such as achenes of the flowers. Chemically pyrethrin is a set of six structurally close monoterpene esters formed by esterification of two monoterpenic acids (chrysanthemic acid and pyrethric acid) with three ketone alcohols (pyrethrolone, cinerolone and jasmolone). The side effects of the chemical analogue of this molecule and eco-friendly action of pyrethrin such as rapid degradation into the environment and swift action against insects make this molecule the ultimate choice for scale-up industries thus far making this plant system of uttermost importance which needs biotechnological intervention. The in vitro research in this plant system is not completely achieved as the whole pathway-level understanding is not fully understood. Apart from it, the regeneration-level protocols in C. cinerariaefolium have not been established to the par, and Agrobacterium-based genetic transformation studies are limited which could have paved the way for better pathway-level studies, gene transfer studies and new variety development with higher pyrethrin content. The present chapter discusses the present scenario and future prospects of in vitro pyrethrin production.