Transcriptomic Insights into Stress Physiology and Metabolic Adaptation in Cinnamomum Species

The genus Cinnamomum comprises ecologically, and economically important plant species widely recognized for their medicinal and aromatic properties, largely attributed to their rich secondary metabolite content. These species are frequently exposed to diverse environmental stressors that necessitate coordinated molecular responses to maintain physiological stability and metabolic balance. In this study, publicly available RNA-Seq datasets were analyzed to investigate stress-associated transcriptional responses in Cinnamomum verum and C. camphora. Differential expression analysis revealed extensive transcriptome reprogramming between control and stress-treated samples, indicating large-scale regulatory adjustments under stress conditions. Multivariate analyses demonstrated clear separation of samples according to treatment, supporting distinct stress-responsive expression patterns. Functional annotation and enrichment analyses showed that differentially expressed genes were predominantly involved in stress-responsive signaling pathways, defense mechanisms, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, and terpenoid pathways. The coordinated activation of these pathways highlights the central role of specialized metabolism in stress adaptation and chemical defense. Overall, this study provides transcriptome-based insights into stress physiology and metabolic regulation in Cinnamomum species and demonstrates the applicability of RNA-Seq approaches for elucidating stress-responsive molecular networks in non-model woody plants.