Biogenic selenium and its hepatoprotective activity.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Toxicology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Elemental selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) exhibit diverse biological activities.
• Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a known hepatotoxin causing significant liver damage.
• Understanding the protective mechanisms of biogenic SeNPs (BioSeNPs) against liver injury is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the protective effects of biogenic selenium nanoparticles (BioSeNPs) against CCl4-induced liver damage in a mouse model.
• To compare the efficacy and tissue distribution of BioSeNPs with sodium selenite (SS).
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of hepatoprotection, focusing on antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress markers.

Main Methods:

• Administration of BioSeNPs and sodium selenite (SS) to mice.
• Induction of liver damage using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).
• Assessment of enzyme activities (AST, ALT, ALP, LDH), lipid peroxide levels, and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPx, TRX) in liver tissues and blood.
• Histopathological examination of liver tissues.

Main Results:

• BioSeNPs demonstrated similar tissue distribution to SS after oral administration.
• Both BioSeNPs and SS effectively increased glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase activities.
• Pretreatment with BioSeNPs significantly inhibited the elevation of liver injury markers (AST, ALT, ALP, LDH) and lipid peroxides induced by CCl4.
• BioSeNPs pretreatment significantly enhanced the activities of key antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase).
• Histopathological analysis revealed amelioration of CCl4-induced liver damage following BioSeNPs pretreatment.

Conclusions:

• Biogenic selenium nanoparticles (BioSeNPs) effectively protect the liver against CCl4-induced damage.
• The hepatoprotective effects are attributed to enhanced antioxidant capacity and inhibition of oxidative stress.
• BioSeNPs show potential as a trace element food supplement with significant antioxidant bioactivities.