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Bacopa monnieri known as 'Brahmi' is a well-known medicinal plant belonging to Scrophulariaceae family for its nootropic properties. To the best of our knowledge, no characterization data is available on the potential role of micro RNAs (miRNAs) from this plant till date. We present here the first report of computational characterizations of miRNAs from B. monnieri. Owing to the high conservation of miRNAs in nature, new and potential miRNAs can be identified in plants using in silico techniques. Using the plant miRNA sequences present in the miRBase repository, a total of 12 miRNAs were identified from B. monnieri which pertained to 11 miRNA families from the shoot and root transcriptome data. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis of the identified 68 human target genes exhibited significance in various biological processes. These human target genes were associated with signaling pathways like NF-kB and MAPK with TRAF2, CBX1, IL1B, ITGA4 and ITGB1BP1 as the top five hub nodes. This crosskingdom study provides initial insights about the potential of miRNA-mediated cross-kingdom regulation and unravels the essential target genes of human with implications in numerous human diseases including cancer.

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Several studies have demonstrated potential role of plant-derived miRNAs in cross-kingdom species relationships by transferring into non-plant host cells to regulate certain host cellular functions. How nutrient-rich plants regulate host cellular functions, which in turn alleviate physiological and disease conditions in the host remains to be explored in detail. This computational study explores the potential targets, putative role, and functional implications of miRNAs derived from Carica papaya L., one of the most cultivated tropical crops in the world and a rich source of phytochemicals and enzymes, in human diet. Using the next-generation sequencing, -Illumina HiSeq2500, ~ 30 million small RNA sequence reads were generated from C. papaya young leaves, resulting in the identification of a total of 1798 known and 49 novel miRNAs. Selected novel C. papaya miRNAs were predicted to regulate certain human targets, and subsequent annotation of gene functions indicated a probable role in various biological processes and pathways, such as MAPK, WNT, and GPCR signaling pathways, and platelet activation. These presumptive target gene in humans were predominantly linked to various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, mental illness, and platelet disorder. The computational finding of this study provides insights into how C. papaya -derived miRNAs may regulate certain conditions of human disease and provide a new perspective on human health. However, the therapeutic potential of C. papaya miRNA can be further explored through experimental studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00438-022-01904-3.

Among the plants considered for medicinal significance, the plant Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family is very important for its therapeutic potentials and pharmacologically relevant phytochemicals. B. monnieri has traditionally been utilized as a neurological substance and cognitive enhancer. A lot of efforts are now devoted to study its neuroprotective properties traced in traditional medicines. This plant is well known for its improvement of brain function along with memory enhancement, antioxidant, antitoxic, hepatoprotactive, anti-hypertensive, anti-diarrheal, analgesic, antiulcer, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and antiepileptic activities.