Salvia miltiorrhiza is one of the most popular traditional medicinal herbs in Asian nations. Its dried root contains a number of tanshinones, protocatechuic aldehyde, salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic, and is used for the treatment of various diseases. The finding of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their target genes will help understand their biological role on the biosynthesis of tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza. In the present study, a total of 452 known miRNAs corresponding to 589 precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs), and 40 novel miRNAs corresponding to 24 pre-miRNAs were identified in different tissues of S. miltiorrhiza by high-throughput sequencing, respectively. Among them, 62 miRNAs express only in root, 95 miRNAs express only in stem, 19 miRNAs express only in leaf, and 71 miRNAs express only in flower, respectively. By the degradome analysis, 69 targets potentially cleaved by 25 miRNAs were identified. Among them, acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase was cleaved by miR5072, and involved in the biosynthesis of tanshinones. This study provided valuable information for understanding the tissue-specific expression patterns of miRNAs in S. miltiorrhiza, and offered a foundation for future studies of the miRNA-mediated biosynthesis of tanshinones.

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SummaryRelationship between intestinal flora and obesity has aroused great interest. The probiotic effects of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Lactobacillus fermentum (LF) have been documented extensively. This study aimed to explore the effects of LP and LF alone or in combination on lipid-lowering effects of the highfat diet rat via intestinal flora modulation and systemic immunity. The rats in high-fat diet plus LP (LP 10 8 cfu day À1 ) showed significantly lower IL-6 and endotoxin (ET) content, increased the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and decreased the liver steatosis and fat vehicle sizes. The Lactobacillus LP and LF in combination can regulate intestinal flora and systemic immune function in rats with high-fat diet. It provides the foundation for the further development and application of multiple Lactobacillus strain in controlling obesity-related syndrome.

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