IntroductionPhysalis peruviana L. is a species from the family Solanaceae and genus Physalis, commonly known as Cape gooseberry (also known as physalis, golden berry, etc.). It is an herbaceous, semishrub, perennial plant, native to tropical Peru and other warm temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world (Ramirez et al., 2013). Cape gooseberry resembles tomato in flavor and appearance, though the sour and sweet taste is richer in this tropical fruit. This plant has increasing popularity due to its nutritional and medicinal values. Cape gooseberry is a source of health-related compounds found in the fruits and other parts of the plant, including leaves and stems. It has been widely used for treating diabetes, hepatitis, ulcers, and several other diseases (Mayorga et al., 2002;Arun and Asha, 2007). It also contains high levels of vitamins A, C, and B-complex, as well as compounds with antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties (Strik, 2007). Wu et al. (2009) reported that supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of P. peruviana leaves induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human lung cancer cells. Similarly, Çakir et al. (2014) reported that phenolic content of ethanolic leaf extracts (100 µg mL -1 ) possessed high cytotoxic effects on HeLa cells (an immortal cell line).The use of tissue culture methods for the selection of the best cultivars for agricultural practices and clonal propagation might be conducive for micropropagation, especially when taking into account high consumption due to value-added natural compounds, limited plant production, and requirements of manpower, transport, and storage (Rodrigues et al., 2013a). Though P. peruviana was reported as recalcitrant for shoot organogenesis through adventitious regeneration from leaf explants (Torres, 1991), there are a limited number of in vitro regeneration studies concerning the micropropagation of P. peruviana (Rodrigues et al., 2013b), not containing information about the synergistic effects of plant growth regulator (PGR) combinations on growth parameters. Several studies on in vitro propagation of other Physalis species, including P. minima, P. ixocarpa, and P. pruinosa,
