A Systematic Review on Green Synthesized Selenium Nanoparticles as Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Agents: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential

Nanotechnology has introduced revolutionary progress in medical sciences, providing unparalleled prospects for diagnosing and treating diseases. Notably, Nanomedicine enables targeted drug delivery, maximizes therapeutic effects, limits undesirable effects, and enhances therapeutic precision, which was unattainable with conventional methods. Furthermore, integrating natural biomolecules in nanoparticle synthesis has evolved as a sustainable approach, combining ecological safety with improved biocompatibility and pharmacological performance. This review aims to systematically scrutinize the literature on the beneficial effects of green Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) on antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential. For this study, the literature was meticulously searched, and data were collected from preferred sources, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, ScienceOpen, DOAJ, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scilit. The literature search was restricted to English-language works published between 2014 and 2024. Data collection focused on the antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of green-synthesized SeNPs, which were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. Methods like DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. This review finds that Aloe vera, Annona muricata (A. muricata), Waltheria indica (W. indica) (IC₅₀ 0.00692), Millettia pinnata (IC₅₀ 0.0077), Camellia sinensis, Citrus sinensis (IC₅₀ 0.00849) mediated NPs in DPPH and W. indica (IC₅₀ 0.01685), A. muricata, Calluna vulgaris (IC₅₀ 0.01687), Echinacea purpurea, Aloe vera, Blighia sapida NPs in ABTS (in mg/ml concentration) exhibited a very promising anti-oxidant effect. The plant Fagonia critica (F. cretica) (IC₅₀ 0.1), Cassica auriculata (C. auriculata), Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera), Caralluma tuberculate (C. tuberculate) in α-glucosidase and F. cretica, C. auriculata, M. oleifera, Broccoli florets, C. tuberculata mediated NPs, in α-amylase assay (mg/ml concentration) showed the most prominent antidiabetic effects. Therefore, the green-synthesized SeNPs could be considered as distinct antioxidant and antidiabetic agents, potentially contributing to both antidiabetic and anti-oxidant therapy.