Morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of bladder cherry (Physalis alkekengi L.) induced by multienzymatic biostimulant, IBA, and citric acid

Plant enzymes, growth regulators and organic acids are the main groups of plant biostimulants (PBs), and their combined use in the final formulation may be important for increasing the quantitative and qualitative composition of plant products. This study aimed to determine the effects of a multienzymatic biostimulant (MB), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and citric acid (CA) on the morphological and phytochemical traits of bladder cherry (Physalis alkekengi L.). The treatments included different concentrations of MB (0, 0.5 and 1.0%), IBA (0, 25, and 50 ppm), and CA (0, and 500 mg dm⁻³), which were sprayed four times during the vegetative stage, at 12-day intervals, 35 days after planting. The results showed that the treatments had a significant effect on plant height, stem number, diameter and weight, leaf number and weight, fruit number, diameter and weight, the amounts of total phenols, alkaloids and flavonoids, and on the radical scavenging activity. The most effective formulation for improving the fruit yield of bladder cherry was 1% MB with 50 ppm IBA and 500 ppm CA. However, the best treatment for increasing the total phenolic and alkaloid contents, and radical scavenging activity was 0.5% MB. In general, the maximum values of most traits were obtained by spraying the plants with 0.5 and 1% MB combined with IBA and CA. The concentration of alkaloids, the main pharmaceutical metabolites of bladder cherry, increased as a result of the application of the multienzymatic biostimulant.