More and more reports are appearing the scientific literature about genetic engineering of medicinal plants, though most of what makes the news is about genetically-modified food plants. In the interest of full disclosure, included below is a listing of herbs reported to have been genetically-modified by modern scientific means. This listing does not necessarily mean these herbs are available in the marketplace, and doesn’t necessarily mean they would be helpful or harmful.
Click on the the PMID (PubMed ID Number) to go to an abstract of the research paper.
* Althaea officinalis (marshmallow), to express the potential anti-HIV drug cyanovirin-N (PMID 23852261)
* Artemisia annua (sweet Annie), to make more artemisinin (PMID 21509717 )
* Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng), to make precursors to taxol (PMID 23101514 )
* Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng), to make it produce anti-allergic compounds (PMID 20590409 )
* Panax quinquefolium (American ginseng), to make it able to metabolize exogenous compounds it normally can’t (PMID 22701285 )