Abstract: Echinacea are food supplements for enhancing the immune system.However,cultivation of Echinacea species in fields is greatly impeded by long process(3-5 years),low yield and unstable contents of caffeic acid derivatives.The adventitious root culture of Echinacea is regarded as an efficient alternative for biomass production due to its fast growth and stable metabolite production at the industrial levels.In the present review we summarize adventitious root induction,chemical and physical factors affecting the accumulation of bioactive compounds and the progress in the area of adventitious root cultures in a bioreactor.In addition,future perspectives of adventitious roots are also discussed for application.

Key words: Echinacea, adventitious roots, sucpension culture, caffeic acid derivatives