Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider) is a desert shrub which tolerates saline and
alkaline soils and minimal water requirements. Jojoba seed storage lipids are liquid waxes which are
esters of long chain monounsaturated fatty acids and alcohols. The oil content of the seed constitutes
approximately 40-50% of the seed weight. The liquid wax is of economic importance in industry
(machine lubricant) and medicine (e.g. cosmetics and anticancer compounds). Biotechnology
approaches can be utilized for jojoba propagation and cloning of genes coding for economically
important traits. Micropropagation of jojoba by in vitro seedling culture was achieved. This chapter will
discuss the following aspects: 1) Jojoba production and economics, 2) The medicinal metabolites and
their health related values, 3) Conventional and non-conventional, biotechnological, approaches to
improve and utilize jojoba.
Keywords: Jojoba, Simmondsia chinensis, biotechnology, micropropagation, gene cloning, in vitro
seedling culture, fatty acids, somatic embryogenesis, explants, plant growth regulators, precursor,
elicitation, molecular markers.
