RNA Interference for Improvement of Bioactive Compound Production in Plants

Plants that consist of bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, etc. have high commercial value due to their numerous uses in medicine, agriculture, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food industry, etc. In response to various biotic as well as abiotic stresses, these bioactive compounds are produced. There is a great rise in demand for bioactive compounds because of their significant importance; therefore, there is a drastic need to increase the formulation of these compounds. RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural gene-silencing phenomenon that has lately been widely employed in agriculture to enhance crop improvement, disease control, plant growth, and so on. RNA interference (RNAi) has attracted various researchers all over the world for studies in relation to plant improvement. So far, various researchers have investigated the miRNA and siRNA interference for enhancing the bioactive compounds in various plants, responsible for controlling the various traits. This book chapter is, to sum up, all that scattered information related to RNA interference (RNAi) for improving bioactive compound production in plants; it will also be helpful in facilitating future research.