Transcriptome analysis for Iranian Citrullus colocynthis (Bitter Apple)

To obtain the transcriptome of leaves, fruits, and flowers from the Iranian bitter apple (Citrullus colocynthis L.) medicinal plant, we utilized the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform to produce 150-bp paired-end reads. Bitter apple is a perennial herb species from the Cucurbitaceae family, characterized by a bitter compound called cucurbitacin, which is the primary biochemical compound of this plant. Cucurbitacins are a class of cucurbitane-type tetracyclic triterpenoids predominantly produced by plants of the Cucurbitaceae family. These compounds possess a range of beneficial effects, including the ability to combat diabetes, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, reduce inflammation, and fight fungal infections.