Food Science and Applied Biotechnology, 2020, 3(1), 56-70 Food Science and Applied Biotechnology Journal home page: www.ijfsab.com https://doi.org/10.30721/fsab2020.v3.i1 Review Phytochemical composition and biological activity of Physalis spp.: A mini-review Nadezhda Mazova1, Venelina Popova1✉, Albena Stoyanova1 1 Department of Tobacco, Sugar, Vegetable and Essential Oils, Technological Faculty,University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria Abstract The main objective of this mini-review was to synthesize recent data about the phytochemical composition, the nutritional properties, and the biological and pharmacological activities of a now cosmopolitan genus, Physalis (Solanaceae), being in the focus of intensive research over the last two decades. Six Physalis species with nutritional and pharmacological promise are considered in particular – P. peruviana L., P. philadelphica Lam., P. ixocarpa Brot. ex Horm., P. angulata L., P. pubescens L., and P. alkekengi L. Summarized contemporary data on the metabolite profile and the biological activities of Physalis species support their century-long use in traditional medicine and human nutrition. The fruit represent a rich source of minerals, vitamins, fibers, carotenoids, proteins, fructose, sucrose esters, pectins, flavonoids, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols and many other beneficial nutrients. Individual phytochemicals and complex fractions isolated from Physalis plants demonstrate various biological and pharmacological activities, the most promising of which include antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, hepato- renoprotective, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and others. Most of these activities are associated with the presence of flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, physalins, withanolides, and other bioactive compounds. The accumulated data disclose the potential of Physalis spp. as highly functional foods, as profitable crops for many regions over the world, and as sources of valuable secondary metabolites for phytopharmacy, novel medicine and cosmetics. Information provided by this review is also important for a more intensive promotion of Physalis species in Bulgaria and for future studies on their composition and benefits. Keywords: Physalis spp., phytochemicals, biological activity, health benefits Abbreviations: FW – fresh weight; RAE – retinol activity equivalent ✉Corresponding author: Assoc. Prof. Venelina Todorova Popova, DSC; University of Food Technologies, Technological Faculty, Department of Tobacco, Sugar, Vegetable and Essential Oils, 26 Maritza Blvd., 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria, tel.: +359 32 603 666; E-mail: [email protected] Article history: Received: 12 September 2019 Reviewed: 2 October 2019 Accepted: 23 October 2019 https://doi.org/10.30721/fsab2020.v3.i1.80 Available on-line: 19 March 2020 © 2020 The Authors. UFT Academic publishing house, Plovdiv Mazova et al., 2020 Phytochemical composition and biological activity of Psysalis… Page 56 Food Science and Applied Biotechnology, 2020, 3(1), 56-70 Introduction exception is P. alkekengi, which is the only species native to Asia and Europe. The country with the The genus Physalis of family Solanaceae is among greatest diversity in the genus is Mexico with over the largest genera in subfamily Solanoideae, with 70 species, most of them being endemic (several about 100 species, although the estimation of the endemic species are also found in the United States, species within the genus varies considerably – from Central and South America). 75 to 120 (Martínez 1998; Feng et al. 2018). The genus is generally recognized by the inflated Most of Physalis species have a long history of balloon or lantern-like calyx (husk, fruit basket), ethnomedical use in the treatment of various which completely envelopes the berry, protecting it ailments, including malaria, asthma, hepatitis, liver against insects, birds, diseases and adverse climatic and kidney problems, dermatitis, and many others, conditions (Puente et al. 2011). Physalis species and as immunomodulatory, antitumor, antibacterial show great morphological variation: by life form or antipyretic agents (Zhang and Tong 2016). (annual, rhizomatous perennial and shrubby or Additionally, some of the species are cultivated (and arborescent perennial genotypes); by height (from a some are collected from wild populations) for their few centimetres up to 2 m, profusely branching or edible fruit and have nutritional importance – single-stem); by leaf morphology (petiolate or mainly P. peruviana L., and to a lesser extent P. sessile, from ovate to lanceolate in form, with long philadelphica Lam., P. ixocarpa Brot., P. pubescens or short glandular hairs); by flower morphology L. and P. alkekengi L. (corolla colour varying from yellow to light green, but purple in P. solanaceous (Schltdl.) Axelius and The last two decades have witnessed a constantly white – in P. alkekengi L.); by calyx morphology increasing interest in Physalis species, with a (either strongly 5-angled or 10-angled in shape, specific focus on their phytochemistry and green when fresh and turning light brown or yellow pharmacology. As it it is well known, medicinal at maturity, but bright orange in P. alkekengi and plants are the largest reservoir of secondary almost black in P. melanocystis (B.L.Rob.) Bitter); metabolites, and the major sources of chemical by fruit and seed morphology (berries have either diversity that has driven many pharmaceutical juicy or rather dry pericarp, the colour of ripe berries breakthroughs in the last century (Sang-ngern et al. varying from green to yellow to orange or purple; 2016). More than 200 chemical constituents seed colour varying from light yellow to brown, and representing secondary metabolites with various seed size – from 0.6 to 3.0 mm) (Kindscher et al. carbon skeletons and interesting biological 2012; Martínez 1998; Puente et al. 2011; Sharma et activities have been identified from the genus al. 2015). On the other hand, several Physalis Physalis over the past two decades (Lv et al. 2018; species have highly similar morphological traits and Olivarez-Tenorio et al. 2016; Puente et al. 2011; misidentification in the genus is common, as in the Sharma et al. 2015; Zhang and Tong 2016). They case of P. minima L., which is confused with P. include steroids (Men et al. 2014; Qiu et al. 2008), angulata L. or P. pubescens L. in traditional flavonoids (Qiu et al. 2008), alkaloids (Li et al. Chinese medicine preparations, or P. angulata 2018), carotenoids (Etzbach et al. 2018; de Rosso being confused with P. peruviana L. (Feng et al. and Mercadante 2007; Wen et al. 2017; Wen et al. 2018). Moreover, many of the common names used 2019), phenylpropanoids (Chen et al. 2014), sucrose in different regions of the world may be applied to esters (Zhang and Tong 2016), vitamins (Puente et more than one Physalis species, for example al. 2011; Sharma et al. 2015), labdane diterpenes “goldenberry”, “gooseberry”, “tomatillo”, ”Chinese (Zhang and Tong 2016), and others (Li et al. 2018). or Japanese lantern” or the French “amour en cage” Withanolides (steroidal lactones; a group of (love-in-a-cage). These specifics of the genus modified, highly oxygenated C28 ergostane-type should be taken into account, especially in the case phytosterols, synthesized mainly by Solanaceae of interpretation of data for locally collected plants) are the most frequent secondary metabolites specimens, without sound botanical identification. and are considered as taxonomic markers of the Physalis is now considered a cosmopolitan genus, genus (Zhang and Tong 2016). In fact, withanolides which has its origin in America and has been and their analogues, either as pure substances or introduced post-Columbian to the Old World. The extracted fractions from fruit and aerial parts, are Mazova et al., 2020 Phytochemical composition and biological activity of Psysalis… Page 57 Food Science and Applied Biotechnology, 2020, 3(1), 56-70 the hot topic in recent research on Physalis species. in extracts from the aerial parts of several species In total, 169 withanolides, divided into different (P. angulata, P. minima L., P. alkekengi var. types and subgroups on the basis of the steroidal franchetii, P. divericata D. Don, P. peruviana). skeleton, have been reported in the genus and have Most of these are firstly discovered structures and been classified as promising antimicrobial, have been pointed out as the characteristic bioactive antitumor, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, components responsible for the antitumor, anti- immunomodulatory, and antiparasitic agents microbial and anti-inflammatory properties of (Cirigliano et al. 2008; Puente et al. 2011; Zhang various fractionated extracts by a series of in vitro and Tong 2016). Among them, more than fifty and in vivo studies (Ji et al. 2012; Li et al. 2014; Li physalins with a 13,14-seco-16,24-cycloergostane et al. 2018; Pinto et al. 2016; Rivera et al. 2018; skeleton and their derivatives have been identified Yang et al. 2016). Figure 1. Leaves, whole fruits and berries of P. peruviana L. (1a-c) and P. alkekengi L. (2a-c) (authors’ images) In this review are considered just a few of the Chemical composition, biological activities Physalis species, sharing the common trait of and use of Physalis species having edible fruit and a pharmacological promise, with a special accent on the only two species Physalis peruviana L. common to Bulgaria – P. peruviana (cultivated) and P. peruviana (Cape gooseberry, Inca berry, P. alkekengi