Medicinal and Edible Plant——Physalis alkekengi L. and Its Cultivation Techniques

Nurbolat AIDARHAN, Maimaitiaili TURSUNBAHE, Abulimiti YILI, Geyu LIU, Haji Akber AISA*

1. State Key Laboratory Basis of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization, CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Plant Resources in Arid Regions, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; 2. Xinjiang Karakax County Uighur Hospital, Karakax 848100, China

Abstract Botanical morphological characteristics of Physalis alkekengi L. is first introduced, and its medicinal and edible value is elaborated. Cultivation techniques of P. alkekengi L. are mainly introduced. The research aims to provide a certain basis for the better development and application of P. alkekengi L.

Key words Physalis alkekengi L., Dual use of medicine and food, Application value, Morphological character, Cultivation technique

1 Introduction

PhysalisalkekengiL. is perennial herb of Physalis L. of Solanaceae Juss. Original plant isP.alkekengiL., and Uyghur medicine name is Kakinax. It is cold and heat resistant, and loves sunlight.P.alkekengiL. is distributed in Eurasian Continent, and is introduced in Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Hubei, and Sichuan of China.P.alkekengiL. is used as medicine in the form of dried persistent calyx or persistent calyx with fruit, and the fruit can be eaten. Therefore,P.alkekengiL. is a dual-use plant for medicine and food.P.alkekengiL. has the effects of clearing away heat, detoxicating, promoting pharynx, resolving phlegm, promoting diuresis, relieving stranguria, lowering blood pressure, strengthening heart, and inhibiting bacteria. Its fruits could be made into drinks, fruit wine and cans, while its leaves could be processed into tea, which is ideal green drink.

2 Botanical morphological characteristics

P.alkekengiL. is perennial erect herb, with the plant height of 40-90 cm. The aboveground stems are often unbranched, with longitudinal ridge. The stem node is swollen, and the young stem is covered with dense pubescence. The base is often creeping and rooting. When lying underground, there are multi branches, with adventitious roots at nodes. Leaves alternate, and each node has 1-2 leaves. Leaves have short stalks, with the length of 1-3 cm. Leaf blade is ovate to broadly ovate, 4.0-10.5 cm long and 2.0-6.5 cm wide. Base number of flowers is 5, solitary in leaf axils, and pedicel is 1.0-1.5 cm long. Flower is white, with the diameter of 1.5-2.0 cm, and there are 4-12 flowers per plant. Corolla is campanulate, 5-lobed, and lobes are broadly ovate, with acute apex. The thick film expands like a lantern, up to 4.5 cm long, with 5 corners, orange red or dark red, glabrous, loosely surrounding the outside of the berry. The fruit calyx is egg shaped, 2.5-4.0 cm long, 2.0-3.5 cm in diameter, orange or fire red. Persistent pubescence is closed at the top and depressed at the base. Berry is globular and orange red, 10-15 mm in diameter, soft and juicy. Seeds are reniform, many, small, light yellow. Flowering period is from June to September, and fruiting period is from July to October[1-2].

3 Application value

3.1 Medicinal valueGeneral medicinal part ofP.alkekengiL. is fruit. It can cure heat and dysphoria, calm down, replenish qi, and benefit diuresis and detoxification (Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica). It can be taken with mashed juice to cure yellow disease, with multiple effects (Hongjing). It is better to cure cough and wind heat, and can improve eyesight, and root, stem, flower and fruit all could be used (Tang Materia Medica).P.alkekengiL. can clear heat, detoxify, diminish inflammation, reduce swelling, induce diuresis, lower blood pressure, strengthen heart, inhibit bacteria, invite blood, prevent corrosion, and unblock bladder and liver. It is mainly used for diuresis, hot cough, heat clearing and detoxification, sore throat, jaundice, dysentery, edema, furuncle, erysipelas, prostatitis and other diseases.P.alkekengiL. has antibacterial effect and can stimulate uterus. Additionally, fruits and calyx ofP.alkekengiL. have antipyretic and cardiotonic effects[2-3].

3.2 Edible valueWhen the berries are ripe, they hang all over the branches, like strings of lanterns. The fruits ofP.alkekengiL. are edible, with rich fragrance and delicious taste, and it is a nutritious fruit. It can be eaten raw, pickled with sugar and vinegar, or used as fruit juice. Berry is rich in vitamin C, β-carotene, more than 20 kinds of mineral elements, and 18 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body, of which the content of calcium is 73.1 times of tomatoes and 13.8 times of carrots, and the content of vitamin C is 6.4 times of tomatoes and 5.4 times of carrots. It is a good raw material for processing beverages, fruit wine and other drinks. Moreover, it has a certain effect on the treatment of aplastic anemia[4-5].

4 Cultivation techniques

4.1 Selecting varietiesMost ofP.alkekengiL. are self cultivated and reserved, and the selection of varieties should be based on extra large and smallP.alkekengiL.

4.2 Land selection and preparationP.alkekengiL. is not very strict with the soil, and it can be planted on the land without ponding. When planted on the plot with fertile soil and good drainage, the plant is stronger and the yield is higher. It likes weak acid sandy loam soil. For the plot without deep loosening foundation, it is better to loosen for 20-25 cm deep, and apply sufficient base fertilizer and level for standby.

4.3 Reproductive mode

4.3.1Seed propagation. It is sown at the beginning of May. It could furrow along the ridge with a furrow opener, and sow in drill manually. Because of the small seed size, it is not easy to evenly sow. Moreover, the soil arching ability of the seed is poor. When sowing, the seed can be mixed with fine sand. After mixed evenly, it is sown in the ditch. The thickness of the covering soil is about 2 cm, and it is not advisable to step on it too thick to keep moisture. Seedlings are raised in greenhouses or fields. It is sown in the first and middle April in southern Xinjiang, and transplanted in early June, with plant spacing of about 15 cm. In the field, the row spacing is 40-45 cm.

4.3.2Transplant propagation. Transplanting and propagation of rhizomes is a common method in artificial cultivation. Rhizome propagation has the advantages of rapid propagation, easy to master, easy to maintain seedlings, and robust plants. The robust rhizome without diseases and pests is cut into 8-10 cm segments, and 2-3 adventitious buds are retained in each segment. The cut rhizome segments are sown in the ditch, with a row spacing of 40-45 cm and a plant spacing of about 15 cm. It is watered and covered with about 5 cm thick soil after water infiltration, to prevent ventilation and drying. The seedlings can emerge after 15 d when the temperature is about 20 ℃, and it can grow for 4-5 years continuously.

4.4 Field managementWhen plant height is 5 cm, the first thinning is carried out in the direct seeding plot. Young, weak, and diseased seedlings are removed, to avoid competition between plants for water and fertilizer. When plant height reaches 10 cm, seedling fixation is carried out, and plant distance is 12 cm. Three shovels and three times of intertillage weeding should be conducted. Due to shallow root system ofP.alkekengiL., it should be careful not to damage roots when shoveling. It should pay attention to drainage in rainy season.

4.5 Pest and disease control

4.5.1White leaf disease. White leaf disease is easy to occur in high temperature season, and no biological pesticides are available temporarily. The use of chemical pesticides shall be subject to the varieties of national registration or the recorded provincial temporary drug use measures.

4.5.2Leaf spot disease. Leaf spot disease is one of the important diseases ofP.alkekengiL., which occurs seriously in spring and autumn. The mixture ofBacillussubtilis+Paenibacillusmucilaginosus(40 kg/667 m2) could be used in the ditch for prevention. At the time of onset, 80% allicin emulsifiable concentrates (25-30 mL/667 m2) is usually sprayed on stems and leaves for control.

4.5.3Viral disease and prevention. Viral disease is induced by plant virus parasitism.P.alkekengiL. is prone to viral diseases, especially in hot and dry seasons. Preventing excessive drought in the field is a common method to control virus diseases.

4.5.4Pests and control. Major pests ofP.alkekengiL. contain aphid,Pierisrapae,TetranychuscinnbarinusandHelicoverpaarmigera(Hübner). It could spray 0.3% matrine (130 g/667 m2) at the initial stage of insect damage.

4.6 Harvesting and processing

4.6.1Harvesting. In the south of Xinjiang, the fruits ofP.alkekengiL. generally turn red at the end of July, but the seeds can mature only after a postmature stage. If only simply harvesting the fruits, it can be harvested in time when the fruit is soft. Generally, early October is the peak fruit period. It can be collected every 5 d or so according to the market demand until it is completely collected. If the mature seeds are to be harvested, the plants should be cut at one time before frost, placed in a cool and dry place, and the fruits can be picked.

4.6.2Processing. After the fruits are harvested, they should be placed in a cool, dry and ventilated place, and spread out evenly. Moreover, they should be turned and dried in time until they are completely dry, and stored in a dry place. A method commonly used in the folk is to thread the collected fruits into strings according to the actual situation, and hang them in a ventilated place to dry and preserve.