® Floriculture and Ornamental Biotechnology ©2013 Global Science Books Orchids: Advances in Tissue Culture, Genetics, Phytochemistry and Transgenic Biotechnology Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva* Faculty of Agriculture and Graduate School of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Ikenobe 2393, Kagawa-ken, 761-0795, Japan Correspondence : *
[email protected] ABSTRACT Orchids include some of the world’s most important floricultural (cut-flower) and ornamental (pot and garden) plants, some of which have pharmacological interest. Even though seed propagation has been recorded since the early 19th century, their micropropagation and tissue culture dominated orchid biotechnology until the 1990’s, while transformation and molecular technologies are now being more intensely focused. This review highlights literature until about 2005 that pertains to ornamental orchid in vitro cell, tissue and organ culture, micropropagation, genetics and transformation, and takes an in depth analysis at how each of these disciplines has influenced the use of biotechnology in the improvement and preservation of orchids around the world allowing orchid research to take a new direction in recent years. Closely related to this is the use of phytochemicals and secondary metabolites from orchids, which serve important medical and industrial purposes. Using biotechnology, these phytochemicals can be further explored and manipulated in vitro. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: orchid,