Is There Still Room to Improve Medicinal Herbs (Functional Herbs) by Gene Editing for Health?

Abstract

Herbs have a wide variety of chemical compounds that can support food quality, medicines, and biotechnology approaches. Over the years, extensive research has been carried out in genetic engineering of foods, including improving the feasibility of herbs. The story behind the herbal genetic technology relates to food allergy, the pharmaceutical industry, and of course, the growing food shortage that is the biggest nutritional issue of this century. Researchers have highlighted that in genome editing, creating synthetic biology is a good strategy. Furthermore, the production of secondary metabolites in herbs may be enhanced through genetic methods. The researchers investigated the plants’ secondary metabolic pathways as well as their genetic alterations. Yet there are some herbal remedies used in genetic engineering. This chapter begins with a discussion of our studies of functional foods and their effects on human and animal health. Next, we will highlight the importance of genome editing in herbs and methodologies. Additionally, the differences between natural functional foods and genome editing herbs will try to prove efficacy on humans and animals. Consequently, we will attempt to reveal if genomic foods have protective effects on health and particularly on pandemic diseases.