Synthesis and comparative assessment of antiradical activity, toxicity, and biodistribution of κ‐carrageenan‐capped selenium nanoparticles of different size: in vivo and in vitro study

Abstract

In the present study, water-soluble hybrid selenium-containing nanocomposites have been synthesised via soft oxidation of selenide-anions, preliminarily generated from elemental bulk-selenium in the base-reduction system 'N 2 H 4-NaOH'. The nanocomposites obtained consist of Se 0 NPs (4.6-24.5 nm) stabilised by κ-carrageenan biocompatible polysaccharide. The structure of these composite nanomaterials has been proven using complementary physical-chemical methods: X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Optical ranges of 'emission/ excitation' of aqueous solutions of nanocomposites with Se 0 NPs of different sizes are established and the most important parameters of their luminescence are determined. For the obtained nanocomposites, the expressed antiradical activity against free radicals 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid has been found, the value of which depends on the size of selenium nanoparticles. It is experimentally revealed that all obtained nanocomposites are low toxic (LD 50 >2000 mg/kg). It is also found that small selenium nanoparticles (6.8 nm), in contrast to larger nanoparticles (24.5 nm), are accumulated in organisms to significantly increase the level of selenium in the liver, kidneys, and brain (in lesser amounts) of rats.

Toxicological effects of nanoselenium in animals

“…Further experiments within the same study showed a size-dependent antioxidant activity of SeNPs, while smaller SeNPs showed a higher ability to scavenge free radicals ABTS and DPPH. These results clarified that not only the size of SeNPs might play a role in Se bioaccumulation, but their reactivity allows them to participate in biochemical interactions with organic compounds [42]. However, the vast majority of researchers have not considered the long-term toxicity of SeNPs.…”

Toxicological effects of selenium nanoparticles in laboratory animals: A review

“…Selenium nanoparticles have been shown to accumulate in the liver (Lesnichaya et al, 2020; Loeschner et al, 2014; Urbankova et al, 2021; Zhang et al, 2019) and kidneys (Lesnichaya et al, 2020; Loeschner et al, 2014) of the organism, but not in the brain (Lesnichaya et al, 2020; Loeschner et al, 2014), stomach, lungs, muscles, blood plasma, or urine (Loeschner et al, 2014).…”

“…Zhang et al (2019) also reported an LD50 of over 36 Se/kg for male and female rats. Lesnichaya et al (2020) found an LD50 of over 2000 mg/kg for mice, while Khubulava et al (2019) reported an LD50 of over 5000 mg/kg for rats.…”

“…The protein corona of nanoparticles and the biological response to it is crucial in nanotoxicology (Corbo et al, 2016;Durán et al, 2015), as it plays a critical role in the interaction between nanoparticles and cells, the rate of their elimination from the bloodstream, toxicity, and distribution in the organism (Bochkova et al, 2020). Lesnichaya et al (2020) proposed that fine nanoparticles of selenium exhibit higher chemical and biological activity, leading to increased biochemical interactions with organic compounds. Conversely, larger particles may be partially eliminated from the body through natural routes due to their low reactivity.…”

The Analysis of Acute and Subacute Toxicity of Silver Selenide Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Arabinogalactan Polymer Matrix

“…The choice of dose is due to previous studies of the toxic properties of nanocomposites of other metals (Ag, Bi, Fe, etc.) [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ], indicating the development of clear and persistent signs of pathology with the introduction of this dose. Control animals ( n = 10) received 1 mL of distilled water in the same mode.…”