Bioinformatics databases and tools on dietary MicroRNA

Empowered by the emerging genomics technology, there has been an increasingly large accumulation of noncoding RNA information, particularly on micro- RNAs in animals and plants. Research interest in microRNAs originating from food mostly focused on their bioavailability and cross-species transportation and regulation has recently grown due to the potential implication of regulatory role and cofounding impact in human health. This chapter reviews publicly available repositories and bioinformatics tools developed for dietary microRNA research, including the first dietary microRNA database (DMD) that archives microRNA sequence and annotation in various dietary sources, a new small RNA sequencing analytical pipeline focusing on the detection of both endogenous and exogenous microRNAs, and other general computational resources and tools for microRNA target prediction and functional analysis.