Innovative anticancer nanocomposites from Corchorus olitorius mucilage/chitosan/selenium nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Global cancer burden necessitates development of safe and effective anticancer agents.
• Natural compounds offer a promising avenue for novel cancer therapies.
• Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize Jm/SeNPs and formulate Jm/SeNPs/Cht nanocomposites.
• To evaluate the anticancer potential of these nanocomposites against CaCo-2 and HeLa cells.
• To investigate the mechanism of cell death induced by the nanocomposites.

Main Methods:

• Biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using Corchorus olitorius mucilage (Jm).
• Formulation of Jm/SeNPs/Chitosan (Cht) nanocomposites (N1, N2, N3) with varying ratios.
• Characterization using FTIR, UV-Vis, and particle size analysis.
• Cytotoxicity assays (IC50 determination) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful biosynthesis of Jm/SeNPs (6.45 nm) and Jm/SeNPs/Cht nanocomposites (46.86–88.41 nm).
• Nanocomposite N1 (2Jm/SeNPs:1Cht) exhibited the highest cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 12.36 mg/L (CaCo-2) and 73.15 mg/L (HeLa).
• SEM imaging revealed significant apoptotic morphological changes in CaCo-2 cells treated with N1, including shrinkage and membrane blebbing.

Conclusions:

• The developed Jm/SeNPs/Cht nanocomposites demonstrate significant anticancer properties.
• Nanocomposite N1 is a potent candidate for further investigation as a natural anticancer formulation.
• This study highlights the potential of combining natural mucilage, selenium nanoparticles, and chitosan for cancer therapy.