Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxic Activity of Stable Selenium Nanoparticles‐Incorporated Carboxymethylcellulose Solution
Аннотация
ABSTRACT Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have attracted considerable attention in biomedical research due to their antioxidant properties and potential therapeutic applications. In this study, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized from sodium selenite (Na 2 SeO 3 ) using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na‐CMC) as an environmentally friendly stabilizer. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed ion‐dipole and hydrogen bonding interactions between SeNPs and functional groups of Na‐CMC spectra at 1601 and 3426 cm −1 . Besides, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements demonstrated the stability of SeNPs with ζ = − 40.5 mV in solution over extended storage periods till 672 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed a correlation between precursor concentration of Na 2 SeO 3 (0.0165–0.122 wt%), spherical nanoparticle size (5–40 nm and 15–75 nm), and morphology. Remarkably, the obtained SeNPs exhibited lower acute toxicity at different doses (0.076 and 0.220 mg/mL) and higher LD 50 values (maximum 2005.36 and 1405.31 mg/kg) than SeO 3 2− ions demonstrated via intravenous and intraperitoneal routes of administration, along with a prolonged release profile of 43% by the 48‐h incubation period. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH assay. While cytotoxicity was assessed against 8 × 10 6 cells/mL Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells, similar cytotoxic activity was observed at equal doses of 10 mg/kg of CMC/SeNPs (15–75 nm) and Doxorubicin showing 94.2% (IC 50 = 0.84 mg/kg) and 96.4% (IC 50 = 0.78 mg/kg), respectively. Interestingly, SeNPs (40–65 nm) exhibited a strong “nanoeffect” achieving 93% cytotoxicity (IC 50 = 1.01 mg/kg) after 12 h of incubation, comparable to doxorubicin. These results underscore the potential of SeNPs as a promising candidate for biomedical applications, particularly in cancer therapy.