Effects of salicylic acid and heat acclimation on thermotolerance and withanolide accumulation under high temperature stress in the Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.)

The adverse effects of high temperature stress can be alleviated by thermotolerance induced by exogenous application of plant growth regulators or by gradual application of temperature stress. Physalis peruviana L., commonly known as the Cape gooseberry, is a source of a variety of phytocompounds such as withanolides (withanone, withaferin A, and withanolide A). These withanolides are potentially high-value drug candidates because of their various pharmacological properties. The production of withanolides via traditional agriculture is commercially inadequate.