Biotechnological approaches to the production of commercially important cardiac glycosides from Digitalis L. (foxglove)

Abstract

Digitalis L. (foxglove, Plantaginaceae) genus is a representative of several medicinal ornamental plants that are widely used in the production of herbal medicines. Since the 18th century, human civilizations have used extracts from several Digitalis species for treating heart-related ailments. The active ingredient in the medicine is cardiac glycosides. Cardenolides, one of the main groups of compounds of cardiac glycosides, have commercially important secondary metabolites such as digoxin and digitoxin. These compounds, known as agents in treating congestive heart failure, have important applications in pharmacy and have remarkable anticancer effects on various cancer cell lines. The growing demand for plant-based natural products has made this group of compounds one of the enthralling targets for their in vitro production. This chapter aims to highlight the recent progress in the production of economically important cardiac glycosides by various biotechnological means such as shoot, callus, cell suspension culture, elicitation, and genetic transformation. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.