With the development of modern technology, herbal medicine has evolved from traditional crude extracts to the utilization of single effective components. Plant stem cells contain all the genetic information for plant development and growth, possessing remarkable abilities for cell division and differentiation. This allows plants to continuously grow and reproduce for centuries, serving as the source of their vitality. However, research on plant stem cells is challenging. Despite efforts by botanists 160 years ago to experiment with live isolation, they all ended in failure. The successful identification and isolation of plant stem cells have only occurred in the last approximately 20 years.

Medicinal plant stem cells are isolated from the meristematic tissues and vascular cambium of medicinal plants. Under certain conditions, they can produce a category of plant stem cells with active ingredients that have disease prevention and health-promoting properties. These stem cells come from a broad category of medicinal plants, including raw materials for health foods, vegetables, fruits, and potential medicinal plants. Currently, the techniques for isolating, identifying, preserving, and cultivating medicinal plant stem cells have matured, and research on the mechanisms regulating differentiation, development, and secondary metabolite production has become more in-depth. The application prospects of medicinal plant stem cells are extensive, spanning pharmaceuticals, health foods, and other food-related areas."