RNA Sequencing-based Transcriptomic profiles of HeLa, MCF-7 and A549 cancer cell lines treated with Calotropis gigantea leaf extracts

Abstract

Calotropis gigantea is used as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases. The anti-cancer, antimalarial, anti-rheumatic, and anti-diabetic activities of this plant are attributed to its diverse bioactive components. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effect of C. gigantea leaf extract on the transcriptional profile and apoptosis in the HeLa, MCF-7, and A549 cancer cell lines. Apoptosis was evaluated using an in vitro assay, while the transcriptome profile was examined using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed to evaluate their role in the pharmacological effects of C. gigantea. Treatment with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of C. gigantea leaf extract differentially regulated various genes in the A549, HeLa, and MCF7 cancer cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed approximately 360 million trimmed reads in the leaf extract-treated dataset. Additionally, 10,161 (763 up regulated and 9398 down regulated), 15,269 (3287 up regulated and 11,982 down regulated), and 4436 (1185 up regulated and 3251 down regulated) DEGs were identified in the A549, MCF7, and HeLa datasets, respectively. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were enriched in the pathways involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and inflammation. The gene expression profiles that corroborate the potential therapeutic targets were analyzed. The results of this study suggest that C. gigantea leaf extract can be further developed into a selective chemotherapeutic agent.