plant-human-interaction
Plant-human interaction is an interdisciplinary field studying the ecological, physiological, and psychological relationships between people and plants, including how humans influence plant evolution, distribution, and health, and how plants in turn affect human wellbeing. Understanding these interactions is critical for plant science as it informs conservation strategies, agricultural practices, and urban greening efforts, while also revealing how domestication and human land use have shaped plant genetics and adaptive traits over millennia.
PubMed · 2026-03-26
Tiny molecular messengers called microRNAs found in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs can survive digestion, enter human blood, and potentially influence how our genes work — suggesting that the plants we consume may communicate with our bodies at a molecular level.
Two specific plant microRNAs — miR2916-p5 and miR6478 — were identified in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and are the focus of cross-kingdom regulatory study.
Plant-derived microRNAs can survive mammalian gastrointestinal digestion, enter the bloodstream, and reach target tissues in the body.
The composition, types, and functions of microRNAs in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs remain poorly characterized, representing a significant research gap.