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Herbal chemicals with a long history in medicine have attracted a lot of attention. Flavonolignans and flavonoids are considered as two classes of the above-mentioned compounds with different functional groups which exhibit several therapeutic capabilities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Based on the studies, high hydrophobic properties of the aforementioned compounds limit their bioavailability inside the human body and restrict their wide application. Nanoscale formulations such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, and other types of lipid-based delivery systems have been introduced to overcome the above-mentioned challenges. This approach allows the aforementioned hydrophobic therapeutic compounds to be encapsulated between hydrophobic structures, resulting in improving their bioavailability. The above-mentioned enhanced delivery system improves delivery to the targeted sites and reduces the daily required dosage. Lowering the required daily dose improves the performance of the drug by diminishing its side effects on non-targeted tissues. The present study aims to highlight the recent improvements in implementing lipid-based nanocarriers to deliver flavonolignans and flavonoids.

Circular RNAs (cricRNAs) are relatively new members in the world of RNAs and can contribute to critical biological functions. Functionally, circRNAs can regulate their parent genes or act as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, preventing miRNAs from binding to their target genes. CircRNAs exhibit tissue-specific expression profiles depending on cell type and developmental stage. Yaghooti grape from Sistan is a seedless species with small berries. The compact clusters are another striking feature of this grape variety. In this study, we identified the circRNAs active in cluster formation and investigated the effect of gibberellin treatment on their expression levels. Of the 3,715 circRNAs identified, 900 cricRNAs are differentially expressed at three developmental stages of the cluster under gibberellin treatment. Gene ontology analysis (GO) showed that cellular activity increased in the first stage of cluster development but decreased in the second and third stages under the influence of gibberellin treatment, whereas the biological process and molecular function in the control and treatment samples showed a different pattern in the stages of cluster formation. The circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs interaction showed that up-regulated circRNAs could sponge the vvi-miR156, vvi-miR164, and vvi-miR172 families, which control a gene network associated with the flowering process in Yaghooti grapes. Thus, circRNAs could sponge miRNAs and regulate their target genes involved in the flowering process at the post-transcriptional level. Our results suggest that cricRNAs may play a key role in the developmental and cluster formation processes of Yaghooti grape and the plant’s tolerance to drought stress.

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