Golden Berry

Overview

Physalis peruviana is a plant that originates and grows naturally in South America, in the tropical highlands of Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. Over the past 200 years, this species has been widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in the tropical highlands, as well as in the subtropics and in temperate regions. This species was later found growing in Central America, India, tropical Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, also in parts of East Asia and Europe. Commercial production is found mainly in the subtropical and temperate zones, particularly in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Some fresh fruit is imported to Europe from Kenya, Madagascar, Colombia. The cultivated golden berry is especially valued for its fruit. The fruit can be consumed, either directly or processed (jam, sweets, pies, and cakes). The dried fruit can also be used as a yeast substitute and as a substitute for raisins, although they are not as sweet. The plant is a good source of nutrients, minerals, vitamins. The fruit is rich in vitamins A, C and B complex (thiamine, niacin, and B12). Besides being consumed as food, this species is widely used by the community as an ornamental plant and medicinal plant. 

Vernacular Names

Hhabwah (Arabic), Deng long cao (Chinese), Ananaskirsebaer (Danish), Goudbes (Dutch), Alkékange jaune doux (French), Essbare Judaskirsche (German), Alchechenge giallo (Italian), Ke hôzuki (Japanese), Aguaymanto (Spanish).

Agroecology

Found growing on coastal regions and disturbed areas from sea level to 4,500 m. The plant grows best in areas where the mean annual temperatures are within the range 16 - 25°c, though it can tolerate 10 - 32°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,300, tolerating 800 - 4,300. Succeeds in a sheltered position in any well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Prefers a humus-rich loam. Plants tolerate a pH in the range 4.5 to 8.2.

Morphology

• Roots - fibrous.
• Stems - bad-smelling, branching. The branches are angular, ribbed, spreading, sometimes tinged with purple or mauve, soft, dense hairs. The trunk becomes more or less woody (soft), especially at the base. Rootstock creeping, densely pubescent.
• Leaves - simple, unifoliate, solitary or geminate, green which later turns yellow and falls when fruit ripens, petiole 0.5–5.5 cm long, slightly sheathed at the base. Leaf blade broad ovate to heart-shaped, leaf tip tapering (acuminate) or pointed, leaf margin flat to sinuate-dentate, sometimes with several lobes obtuse, some teeth dissimilar. The leaf blade has a velvety texture. Asymmetrically in pairs in each book (alternating leaf arrangement).
• Flowers - bisexual, solitary, axillary, erect to nodding, hairy, bell-shaped, crown yellow with clear purplish-brown spots on flower throat, slightly 5-lobed, pubescent dense especially near base. Surrounded by purplish-green petals, hairy, strikingly veined, toothed or 5-lobed, united at the base with a triangular tip. The flowers are solitary and appear in the axils of the leaves.  Purple pistil stalk, straight or slightly curved upwards. Stamens in or slightly protruding, subequal, purple filaments, attached to the crown tube near the base, equipped with several hairs. The anthers are bluish to red-purple. The flower stalk is tightly covered with fine hairs.
• Fruits - berry, globose with smooth skin, shiny, green fruit turns golden or yellow to orange when ripe, juicy flesh, contains 100-300 seeds, flesh color golden-yellow to orange. It has a slightly sour and sweet taste with a sour taste like wine. Each is enclosed in a bladder like husk which becomes thin as it ripens.
• Seeds - numerous in each fruit, small, flat, yellowish in color and embedded in the juicy flesh, ovoid, sometimes reniform, reticulate-foveat throughout.

Cultivation

• Propagated by seeds - sow in a seedbed or containers. Plant out into permanent positions when about 8 - 10cm tall.
• By division - This is best done without digging up the plant. Remove young shoots that are growing out from the side of the clump, making sure that some of the below ground shoot is also removed. It is best if this has some roots on, but the shoot should form new roots fairly quickly if it is potted up and kept for a few weeks in a shady but humid area.

Chemical Constituents

Phytosterols, oleic acid, linoic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, withanolides, physalins, rutin, myricetin, kaempferol, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, tannins, glycosides, 11 terpenoids (six monoterpenoids and five sesquiterpenes), 11 esters, two compounds phenolic, two aldehydes, two ketones, and one lactone.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Zulus use an Infusion of the leaf as an enema for children with abdominal upsets.
• Heated leaf used by Europeans to draw inflammations.
• Juice of leaves used for worms and bowel complaints.
• In India, used by the Muthuvan and Tamilian tribes for jaundice.
• In Peruvian traditional medicine, used for treating pterygium.
• In other traditional systems, used for treating cancer, malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism.
• In Western Ghats, India, leaves and dried seeds used in treatment of jaundice and glaucoma.