Infectious diseases have been treated using plants and their compounds for thousands of years. This knowledge has enabled modern techniques to identify specific antiviral remedies and to understand their molecular mechanism of action. Numerous active phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and lignans), coumarins, thiophenes, saponins, furyl compounds, small proteins, and peptides, are promising options for treating and preventing viral infections. It has been shown that plant-derived products can prevent or inhibit viral entry into and replication by host cells. Biotechnological advances have made it possible to engineer plants with an increased capacity for the production and accumulation of natural antiviral compounds. Plants can also be engineered to produce various types of antivirals (cytokines, antibodies, vaccines, and lectins). This study summarizes the current understanding of the antiviral activity of specific plant-derived metabolites, emphasizing their mechanisms of action and exploring the enormous potential of plants as biological factories.

Dysregulation in miRNA expression has been reported in a variety of tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC), where adiponectin regulates a number of processes related to tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to identify a panel of heavily and consistently altered miRNAs in CRC that affect adiponectin signaling based on bioinformatics analysis and cross-referencing the available literature. Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze publicly available datasets to identify miRNAs targeting the adiponectin pathway that are substantially dysregulated in CRC. In parallel, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to gather and explore existing knowledge on the relationship between CRC, adiponectin signaling, and miRNA dysregulation. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a set of miRNAs that target adiponectin signaling and are consistently altered in CRC. Several candidate miRNAs, including miR-215-5p, miR-340-5p, miR-181a-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-96-5p, miR-19a-3p, and miR-21-5p, were identified as potential key regulators of the adiponectin cascade, while also being systemically dysregulated in CRC. Through gene ontology enrichment analysis, we further elucidated the biological processes and pathways impacted by these miRNAs, providing insight into their contributions to CRC. The literature review did not identify any previously reported shared connection between these miRNAs, adiponectin signaling, and CRC pathogenesis.