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Published on: January 24, 2025
Selenium Nanoparticles Synergistically Stabilized by Starch Microgel and EGCG: Synthesis, Characterization, and
Jiaojiao Zhou1, Yuantao Liu1, Yili Hu1
1National R&D Center for Se-Rich Agricultural Products Processing, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Deep Processing of Green Se-Rich Agricultural Products, School of Modern Industry for Selenium Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China.
Abstract:
Selenium (Se) is a chemical element essential to human health because of its bioactive properties, including antioxidative, anticancer, and immunomodulating activities. Despite the high therapeutic potential of Se, its intrinsic properties of poor stability, a narrow therapeutic window, and low bioavailability and bioactivity have limited its clinical applications. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) exhibit lower toxicity and higher bioactivity than other Se forms. Herein, we report a green method for the preparation of monodisperse SeNPs with starch microgel (SM) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) through Se-O bonds and polysaccharide-polyphenol interactions (namely, SM-EGCG-SeNPs). SM-EGCG-SeNPs showed higher stability, bioactivities, and cytotoxicity than SeNPs and SM-SeNPs at the equivalent dose. SM-EGCG-SeNPs induced the apoptosis of cancer cells via the activation of several caspases and reactive oxygen species overproduction. This work proposes a facile method for the design and potentiation of structure-bioactive SeNPs via polysaccharide-polyphenol interactions.

