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Coronavirus disease 2019, a newly emerging serious infectious disease, has spread worldwide. To date, effective drugs against the disease are limited. Traditional Chinese medicine was commonly used in treating COVID‐19 patients in China. Here we tried to identify herbal effective lipid compounds from the lipid library of 92 heat‐clearing and detoxication Chinese herbs. Through virtual screening, enzymatic activity and inhibition assays, and surface plasmon resonance tests, we identified lipid compounds targeting the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and verified their functions. Here, we found that natural lipid compounds LPC (14:0/0:0) and LPC (16:0/0:0) could target SARS‐CoV‐2 Mpro, recover cell death induced by SARS‐CoV‐2, and ameliorate acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharides and virus poly (I:C) mimics in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggest that LPC (14:0/0:0) and LPC (16:0/0:0) might be potential pan remedy against ARDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a prevalent metabolic disease, posing a considerable threat to public health. Oligonucleotide drugs have proven to be a promising field of therapy for the diseases. In this study, we reported that a herbal small RNA (sRNA), JGL‐sRNA‐h7 (B34735529, F1439.L002444.A11), could exhibit potent hypoglycemic effects by targeting glucose‐6‐phosphatase. Oral administration of sphingosine (d18:1)‐JGL‐sRNA‐h7 bencaosomes ameliorated hyperglycemia and diabetic kidney injury better than metformin in db/db mice. Furthermore, glucose tolerance was also improved in sphingosine (d18:1)‐JGL‐sRNA‐h7 bencaosomes‐treated beagle dogs. Our study indicates that JGL‐sRNA‐h7 could be a promising hypoglycemic oligonucleotide drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]