Maryam A. Bin Watyan1,2, Abdullah AlAmri1, Ramesa Shafi Bhat3*, Sara O. Alghamedi1, Mohammed AlZahrani4, Jilani Shaik1, Arwa Ishaq Khayyat1, Sooad AlDaihan1*, Mohammed Alanazi1
1Genome Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4Biology Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding authors’ emails: rbhat@ksu.edu.sa; sdaihan@ksu.edu.sa
Received: 01 May 2025 / Accepted: 20 August 2025 / Published Online: 11 September 2025
Abstract
Lepidium sativum has been used traditionally to treat a variety of ailments because of its potential pharmacological properties, however, its impact on the growth and differentiation of colorectal cancer cells is still not well understood. Antiproliferative properties of L. sativum leaf extract, was investigated. The MTT assay was performed, followed by the RT2 Profiler PCR Array to analyze the expression of 84 human DNA damage and repair pathway genes in two human colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT116 and SW620, after exposure to L. sativum extracts. The results showed a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability for HCT116 and SW620 cells following treatment with L. sativum extract. PCR array analysis of the 84 DNA repair genes revealed valuable insights into cellular responses and mechanisms behind the non-conventional treatments of cancer cells. RT-PCR analysis confirmed significant modulation of DNA damage response (DDR) genes, including increased expression of apoptosis-related genes DDIT3 and GADD45G, alongside decreased expression of the repair gene MPG. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 10 compounds with promising pharmacokinetic properties and a favorable ADMET profile, in line with Lipinski’s Rule of Five. This study suggests that L. sativum extract induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells, supporting its potential as a therapeutic agent in cancer treatment.
Keywords: Lepidium sativum, Colorectal cancer, RT2 profiler PCR array, HCT116, SW620
