Detection of plant microRNAs in edible-plant based products

Plant-based diets could be a key source of microRNAs in animals. Plant microRNAs are cross-kingdom gene expression regulators that could modulate mammalian gene expression, influencing their physiology. Therefore, it is important to identify the microRNA expression profile of plant foods in order to identify potential target genes and biological functions in the mammalian host. Next-generation sequencing was applied to identify microRNAs in RNA samples derived from nuts (walnut and almond), vegetables (spinach) and fruits (orange, apple, olive, pear, and tomato). Our data revealed that edible plant contain a large number and diverse type of microRNAs. Overall design: To identify microRNAs from edible plants, next-generation sequencing was performed with total RNA isolated from 0.1 g of fruits and vegetables (orange, apple, olive, pear, tomato, spinach) and 0.5 g of nuts (walnut and almond).