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Planta Med 2025; 91(05): 283-292
DOI: 10.1055/a-2527-2127
Original Papers

The Characteristics and Functions of Orally Absorbed Herbal Decoction-Borne Plant MicroRNAs

Yating Zhu‡
1   Evidence-Based Medicine Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Yicheng Yu‡
2   Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Yao Jia‡
1   Evidence-Based Medicine Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Ziqi Lin
1   Evidence-Based Medicine Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Jinyue Lei
1   Evidence-Based Medicine Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Diyao Wu
1   Evidence-Based Medicine Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Tielong Xu
1   Evidence-Based Medicine Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Longxue Li
3   Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, P. R. China
,
Bin Zheng
4   National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai, P. R. China
› Author AffiliationsThis work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82 141 214), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20 224BAB206 113), the Science and Technology Innovation Team Development Program of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine (CXTD22011), and the Doctoral Research Initiation Foundation of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine (2020BSZR005) awarded to Tielong Xu. The funders played no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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Abstract

Herbal decoctions always contain numerous plant microRNAs, and some of these can be absorbed orally to exert cross-kingdom gene regulation. However, little is known about which specific types of herbal decoction-borne plant microRNAs are more likely to be absorbed. Thus, two antiviral herbal decoctions, Qingfei Paidu and Qingre Huashi Kangdu, were administered to human volunteers and rats, respectively, to investigate the characteristics of orally absorbed decoction-borne plant microRNAs. MIR-6240 – 3 p was identified as an absorbed plant microRNA in humans and is most highly expressed in Qingfei Paidu decoction. Therefore, the kinetics of MIR-6240 – 3 p were monitored in humans following the administration of the Qingfei Paidu decoction, and its antiviral effect on human coronavirus type 229E (HCoV-229E) was examined in vitro. There were 586 176 small RNAs identified in Qingfei Paidu decoction, of which 100 276 were orally absorbed by humans. In the Qingre Huashi Kangdu decoction, 124 026 small RNAs were detected, with 7484 being orally absorbed by rats. Logistical repression analysis revealed that absorbable plant small RNAs in both humans and rats presented higher expression levels, greater minimum free energy, and increased AU/UA frequencies compared to nonabsorbable plant small RNAs. The amount of MIR-6240 – 3 p in humans increased between 1 and 3 h after the administration of the Qingfei Paidu decoction. In addition, MIR-6240 – 3 p significantly reduced the RNA copy number and TCID50 of HCoV-229E in vitro. These results suggest that herbal decoction-borne plant small RNAs with a higher expression level, greater minimum free energy, or an increased AU/UA frequency are more likely to be orally absorbed and could potentially mediate cross-kingdom gene regulation.

Keywords

Plant - miRNAs - Cross-kingdom gene regulation - Oral absorption - MIR-6240, - Decoction, - HCoV\-229E

Supporting Information

    The components of Qingfei Paidu decoction and Qingre Huashi Kangdu decoction are available as Supporting Information.

  • Supporting Information


Publication History

Received: 08 October 2024

Accepted after revision: 28 January 2025

Accepted Manuscript online:
28 January 2025

Article published online:
26 February 2025

© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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