In vitro regeneration and biotechnological advances in tissue culture of Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a medicinally important plant in the family Zingiberaceae. Its rhizome, the most economically and therapeutically valuable part, is widely recognised for alleviating oxidative stress–related disorders such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. However, because it flowers and sets seed rarely, ginger is predominantly propagated vegetatively using rhizomes. This practice is costly and facilitates the spread of diseases in cultivation. To overcome these limitations, in vitro culture techniques have been proposed as an alternative, offering not only disease-free planting material but also a platform for genetic improvement through advanced biotechnological approaches. This review critically evaluates recent advances, challenges, and prospects in ginger tissue culture. It synthesises findings across multiple tissue culture–based approaches, including direct and indirect in vitro regeneration, somatic embryogenesis, microrhizome induction, cell suspension culture, protoplast isolation and fusion, somatic hybridisation, genetic fidelity assessment, transgenics and gene editing, acclimatisation of in vitro–raised plantlets, and the production of specialised metabolites. The review highlights significant progress in regeneration techniques while underscoring persistent challenges, including the low efficiency of somatic embryogenesis, limited success in somatic hybridisation and gene editing, and suboptimal yields of bioactive compounds from in vitro systems. By identifying these research gaps, this review provides insights into strategies for improving propagation efficiency, genetic enhancement, and phytochemical production in ginger. It concludes with recommendations to address current limitations and advance ginger crop improvement through innovative biotechnological interventions.