zma-mir164a-5p: Zma-mir164a-5p is a plant-derived microRNA that has been shown to be absorbed from the diet and is capable of targeting specific porcine genes, such as CSPG4, OTX1, and PLAGL2 [PMC7502231]. This miRNA has been identified to bind to the porcine target genes through a dual-luciferase assay, which demonstrated the interaction between zma-mir164a-5p and its potential target genes [PMC5428504]. With 50 potential porcine mRNA targets predicted for zma-mir164a-5p based on low minimum free energy and high seed region match, it suggests a functional role similar to endogenous miRNAs within porcine cells [PMC5428504]. The miR-TRAP approach further supports that zma-mir164a-5p targets its predicted genes in the Argonaute/RISC complex in pigs [PMC5428504]. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of 15 potential targets showed that 73.33% had significantly increased transcripts upon zma-mir164a-5p treatment, indicating effective targeting [PMC5428504]. The maize-derived miRNAs were confirmed as bona fide plant miRNAs based on their resistance to periodate oxidation and their similar abundance to synthetic 2′-O-methylated miRNAs [PMC5428504]. The functional impact of zma-mir164a-5p on its target genes was further confirmed by reduced luciferase activity in cells transfected with wild-type target gene constructs compared with mutant types [PMC5428504].