Association and multivariate analysis of chromatic and antioxidant attributes in cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) grown under temperate climate

Abstract

The present study was carried out to detect genetic diversity for chromatic and antioxidant characteristics and to quantify fruit skin colour and antioxidant contents among twenty Cape gooseberry genotypes. The association and multivariate analysis was performed and among the chromatic traits the L* value was recorded lowest (23.63) in genotypes CITH-CGB-20 while the highest (67.58) in genotypes (CITHCGB-17) with the standard deviation (10.54) and coefficient of variation (19.56) whereas a* value was minimum (0.127) in CITH-CGB-1 and maximum (23.4) in CITH-CGB-20 with standard deviation and coefficient of variation (5.05 & 236.29). The b* and chroma value found minimum (39.20, 39.21) for the genotype CITH-CGB-19 and maximum (69.6, 79.54) for CITH-CGB-14 respectively however standard deviation (7.59, 8.85) and coefficient of variation (14.02, 16.22) respectively. Cluster analysis revealed that CITH-CGB-20 is generally the most diverged genotype from others with higher mean Euclidean distance of 31.87 while CITH-CB-16 was the least with mean Euclidean distance of 5. The PCA analyses showed that % of variability were explained by only first five principal component (PC) axes. Out of five the first and the second explained 29.51 %, 19.85 % of the variation respectively. Phenotypic correlation revealed positive significant association between chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b (0.537), total phenol content and DPPH (0.960) and these are important traits in differentiating the genotypes. The present findings could be utilized in cape gooseberry breeding programms for the development of cultivars with attractive skin colour fruits and high levels of antioxidant activity.