Diet-derived transmission of plant small RNA: A novel perspective in unraveling the biological and medicinal properties of honey

Authors

Animal Science Research Department, East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Numerous studies have highlighted the positive impact of plant-based foods on human health, which can be attributed to the biological activity of plant secondary metabolites like simple phenols and flavonoids. Recently, it has been discovered that plant miRNAs have the ability to regulate the expression of mammalian genes influenced by diet. A significant breakthrough in this area is the identification of rice miRNAs in the blood and tissues of mammals that consume rice, which control genes associated with cholesterol metabolism. Given the evidence of plant-derived miRNAs in honey, it is suggested that the regulatory function of these molecules in human blood or tissues be independently investigated in laboratory studies to reveal their true role in gene expression. By conducting these laboratory investigations, a new aspect of the relationship between the nutritional and especially medicinal properties of honey with its plant-derived miRNA content can be elucidated, taking an effective step towards unraveling this valuable substance.

Keywords