Effects of pre-harvest chitosan application on growth parameters and total phenolic - antioxidant contents of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) plant is cultivated for both culinary and medicinal purposes in the world due to its valuable benefits for health-promoting properties. The current study aimed to reveal the effects of chitosan applied at three different concentrations (50 ppm, 100 ppm, and 150 ppm) in three different treatments with 21 days intervals on growth parameters and total phenolic and antioxidant contents of bitter gourd. The findings of the study demonstrated that the foliar treatment with 100 ppm chitosan at the second and third treatments had positive effects on the majority of growth parameters examined and on increasing total phenol and antioxidants in bitter gourd. As a result, chitosan could be a possible substance to be used to enhance bitter gourd plants’ growth and development as well as in several industrial fields such as pharmaceuticals and agriculture.