appropriate genes into metabolic pathways, it is possible to dramatically increase the production of secondary metabolites [12; 13].  
The most popular secondary metabolite production systems are hairy roots induced by _Rhizobium rhizogenes_, as these offer good genetic stability together with the possibility to obtain a large amount of material in a short time [14]. This solution has become frequently used in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of valuable compounds such as taxol, vinblastine, and camptothecin [15; 16]. However, that system is not as useful due to the need to culture in dark [17]. Another interesting approach is the use of plants to produce high value recombinant proteins for industrial and clinical applications; this has become a promising alternative to conventional expression systems (bacteria, yeast, or animal cells). However, it should be remembered that the production of secondary metabolites as well as recombinant or modified proteins is a complex procedure that requires an interdisciplinary effort covering a wide range of scientific and technological disciplines [18; 19].  
Both presented systems offer several advantages over conventional strategies in terms of the safety and availability of material, which shows that transgenic plants function as small factories that produce secondary metabolites or recombinant proteins [20]. However, to overcome their limitations, which are mainly related to the scale of production, plant material is often cultivated in bioreactors, these being engineering systems capable of supporting optimal conditions for aerobic or anaerobic biochemical processes. Such culture methods are characterized by stability, ease of use, increased nutrient uptake ability, time, and cost efficiency, as well as large biomass yields; as such, bioreactor culture is regarded as a suitable alternative to conventional methods of plant tissue culture on an industrial scale [21; 22].  
Creating such an efficiently operating production system with a specific material or under strictly-defined conditions may result in a potential patentable application [23; 24]. As such, there are many patents of this type relating to the culture of transgenic material in bioreactors for both secondary metabolites and recombinant proteins [25].  
The main task of this review is to familiarize readers with the latest strategies used when working with in vitro plant cultures to increase their productivity in terms of metabolites and proteins with potential medical applications. In this review, we focus on the use of bioreactors in the cultivation of various plant cultures in vitro. The applications of the various types of bioreactors for the cultivation of plant material, examples of the manipulation of metabolic pathways for increased productivity of secondary metabolites, obtaining transgenic plant cultures in vitro for the production of recombinant proteins, as well as a review of patented bioreactors that can be used to cultivate plant cells and tissues under controlled conditions are presented here. This work may be an introductory guide for researchers planning to conduct research in green biotechnology using a variety of approaches to obtain desired products.