Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.): Progress on Its In Vitro Cultivation and Pharmacological Perspectives

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.), a member of the Lamiaceae family, is a medicinal plant native to the Philippines and grows naturally in many South Asian countries, including Indonesia. It is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry because it contains various bioactive compounds. These bioactive compounds include flavonoids, terpenoids, phytosterols, organic acids, lignins, glycosides, alcohols, pyrones, and aldehydes. The main bioactive compounds are patchouli alcohol, patchoulene epoxide, α-patchoulene, β-patchoulene, α-bulnesene, seychellene, norpatchoulenol, pogostone, eugenol, pogostol, and pachypodol. The pharmacological effects of these compounds include antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-peptic ulcer, anti-hypertensive, antiplatelet, antidepressant, and aphrodisiac effect. So, this medicinal plant is a leading commodity in the global market and has a high economic value. Techniques for in vitro culture have been extensively used to produce identical, high-quality, pathogen-free plants quickly and on a commercial scale. This review describes recent findings in patchouli's in vitro cultivation and pharmacological aspects. Taken together, our work provides new insights into patchouli plants' in vitro mass production.