Effect of high dose of selenium nanoparticles on antioxidant system and biochemical profile of rats in correction of carbon tetrachloride-induced toxic damage of liver

In-vitro and in-vivo studies of two-drug cocktail therapy targeting chemobrain via the Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway

Today, we critically need alternative therapeutic options for chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI), often known as chemo brain. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are two of the primary processes that contribute to the development of chemobrain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how CoQ10 and berberine shield neurons from chemotherapy-induced damage in in-vitro studies and memory loss in vivo studies. For the in-vitro investigation, we employed SH-SY5Y cell lines, and for the in-vivo study, we used female Swiss albino mice divided into seven different groups. Data from in-vitro studies revealed that treatment with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and berberine improved chemotherapy-induced toxicity by reducing mitochondrial and total cellular ROS, as well as apoptosis-elicited markers (caspase 3 and 9). CoQ10 and berberine therapy inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and, consequently, the subsequent expressions of NLRP3 and IL-1β, implying the prevention of inflammasome formation. Furthermore, CoQ10 and berberine therapy boosted Nrf2 levels. This is a regulator for cellular resistance to oxidants. The in vivo results showed that treatment with CoQ10 (40 mg/kg) and berberine (200 mg/kg) improved the behavioral alterations induced by CAF (40/4/25 mg/kg) in both the Morris Water Maze (MWM) and Novel Object Recognition (NOR) tests. Furthermore, biochemical and molecular evidence revealed the antioxidant, mitochondrial restorative, and anti-inflammatory potential of CoQ10 (40 mg/kg) and berberine (200 mg/kg) against CAF (40/4/25 mg/kg) subjected mice. In addition, the histological analysis using H&E staining and transmission electron microscopy (for mitochondrial morphology) showed that mice treated with the cocktails had an increased number of healthy neurons with intact mitochondria and a reduced presence of autophagic vacuoles in the hippocampal region of the brain. These findings back up our theory about this novel cocktail method for CAF-induced cognitive impairment.

Exploring non-cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of selenium nanoparticles synthesized from Gymnema sylvestre and Cinnamon cassia extracts for herbal nanomedicine

The increasing need for pharmaceutical agents that possess attributes such as safety, cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and absence of side effects has driven the advancement of nanomedicine research, which lies at the convergence of nanotechnology and medicine.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to synthesize non-toxic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using Gymnema sylvestre (G. sylvestre) and Cinnamon cassia (C. cassia) extracts. It also sought to develop and evaluate versatile nanomedicine formulations i.e. selenium nanoparticles of G. sylvestre and C. cassia (SeNPs), drug (lupeol) loaded SeNPs (DLSeNPs), drug-loaded and coated (PEG) SeNPs (DLCSeNPs) without side effects.

METHODS

The SeNPs formulations were hydrothermally synthesized, loaded with lupeol to improve efficacy, coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) for targeted delivery, and characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential analysis, size distribution analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Hemolytic cytotoxicity, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydzayl (DPPH), total Reducing power, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) antioxidant assays, carrageenan-induced paw edema, and histological studies were used to estimate the acute anti-inflammatory activity of the synthesized SeNPs.

RESULTS

The final form of PEGylated and drug (lupeol)-loaded selenium nanoparticles (DLCSeNPs) exhibited an average particle size ranging from 100 to 500 nm as evidenced by SEM, and Zeta potential results. These nanoparticles demonstrated no cytotoxic effects and displayed remarkable antioxidant (IC50 values 19.29) and anti-inflammatory capabilities. These results were fed into Graph-pad Prism 5 software and analyzed by one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.001). All nano-formulations exhibited significant overall antioxidant activity, with IC50 values ≤ 386 (p < 0.05) as analyzed by ANOVA. The study's results suggest that G. sylvestre outperformed C. cassia in terms of reducing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) free radical, potassium ferricyanide, and ammonium molybdate in respective antioxidant assays. As far as anti-inflammatory activities are concerned drug (lupeol)-loaded and PEG-coated G. sylvestre SeNPs exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory potential from all other nano-formulations including drug (lupeol)-loaded and PEG-coated C. cassia SeNPs, as exhibited to reduce the release of pro-inflammatory signals i.e. cytokines and NF-kB, making them innovative anti-inflammatory nanomedicine.

CONCLUSION

The study synthesized lupeol-loaded and PEG-coated SeNPs, showcasing the potential for biocompatible, cost-effective anti-inflammatory nanomedicines. G. Sylvester's superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory performance than Cinnamon cassia emphasizes medicinal plant versatility.

Molecular Mechanisms of the Therapeutic Effect of Selenium Nanoparticles in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This review describes and summarizes, for the first time, the molecular mechanisms of the cytotoxic effect of selenium nanoparticles of various origins on hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The text provides information from recent years indicating the regulation of various signaling pathways and endoplasmic reticulum stress by selenium nanoparticles; the pathways of cell death of liver cancer cells as a result of exposure to selenium nanoparticles are considered. Particular attention is paid to the participation of selenoproteins and selenium-containing thioredoxin reductases and glutathione peroxidases in these processes. Previously, there were no reviews that fully reflected the cytotoxic effects of selenium nanoparticles specifically in hepatocellular carcinoma, despite the fact that many reviews and experimental articles have been devoted to the causes of this disease and the molecular mechanisms of regulation of cytotoxic effects by other agents. The relevance of this review is primarily explained by the fact that despite the development of various drugs and approaches for the treatment and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma, this disease is still the fourth leading cause of death in the world. For this reason, a complete understanding of the latest trends in the treatment of oncology of various etiologies, especially hepatocellular carcinoma, is extremely important.

Angelica sinensis polysaccharides modified selenium nanoparticles for effective prevention of acute liver injury

As a global public health issue, the treatment of acute liver injury (ALI) is severely limited due to the lack of specific drugs. In order to address the challenges, innovative strategies for selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) with excellent antioxidant properties have been actively developed to effectively prevent ALI. However, the functional activity of Se NPs is severely affected by poor stability and bioavailability. The aim of this work is to develop a stabilization system (ASP-Se NPs) for Angelica sinensis polysaccharides modified Se NPs. The results showed that ASP-Se NPs with smaller size (62.38 ± 2.96 nm) showed good stability, specific accumulation in liver and enhanced cell uptake, thus exerting strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. The results of in vivo experiments further confirmed that ASP-Se NPs effectively prevented CCl4-induced ALI by improving liver function, inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and liver pathological damage. This work provides a new alternative method for effectively preventing ALI and improving liver function.

Layer-by-layer reinforced-mediated sustained-release nanoantioxidants for long-lasting prevention against drug-induced liver injury

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a commonly encountered and diagnostically complex etiology of acute liver failure, characterized by early indications of hepatic oxidative stress. The most economical approach for DILI treatment is effective and durable oxidative stress prevention. Herein, we propose a long-lasting nanoantioxidant called PDA-Zn-BAI NPs characterized by sustained-release of baicalein (a natural antioxidant) for the long-lasting prevention of DILI. It is constructed using dopamine as an intermediate and layer-by-layer reinforcement strategy based on Zn2+-mediated coordination bonding, π-π stacking, and steric hindrance made of polydopamine network. Optimized PDA-Zn-BAI NPs performed a satisfactory sustained-release effect (36.67% ± 6.67 in normal condition and 60.32% ± 3.19 in acid condition of cumulative release within 5 days). Furthermore, it's been found that PDA-Zn-BAI NPs could continuously be accumulated in the liver with negligible hepatotoxicity and were activated to effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species to break off the damage of acetaminophen to the liver within 5 days (ALT as an indicator, > 70% prevention effect lasts for 5 days), which was vital for the long-lasting prevention of DILI. The long-lasting detoxification by PDA-Zn-BAI NPs in patients with DILI suggested a potential clinical application, especially for those patients who need prolonged administration of hepatotoxic drugs.

Selenium nanoparticles: Properties, preparation methods, and therapeutic applications

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are a unique type of nano-sized elemental selenium that have recently found wide application in biomedicine. It has been shown that the properties of SeNPs can be varied by different fabrication methods. Moreover, SeNPs have various therapeutic effects in medical applications due to their excellent biological and adaptable physical properties. At the same time, SeNPs can be used as a carrier medium for various therapeutic substances, which can bring out the full curative effects of the drugs. In this review, the differences in bioactivity properties of SeNPs prepared from different substances were reviewed; the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of SeNPs in cancer, inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, reproductive diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and other diseases were discussed; and the importance of the development of SeNPs was further emphasized.

Antioxidant effects of Se-glutathione peroxidase in alcoholic liver disease

Oxidative damage induced by ethanol and its metabolites is one of the factors that fuels the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Selenium (Se) is an effective cofactor for glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and has antioxidant effects that improve ALD. In patients with ALD, ethanol-induced oxidative damage inhibits the synthesis of related Se-containing proteins such as: selenoprotein P (Sepp1), albumin (ALB), and GPx in the liver, thus decreasing the overall Se level in patients. Both Se deficiency and excess can affect the expression of GPx, resulting in damage to the antioxidant defense system. This damage enhances oxidative stress by increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body, which aggravates the inflammatory response, lipid metabolism disorder, and lipid peroxidation and worsens ALD symptoms. A cascade of oxidative damages caused by ALD will deplete selenium deposition in the body, stimulate the expression of Gpx1, Sepp1, and Gpx4, and thus mobilize systemic selenoproteins, which can restore GPx activity in the hepatocytes of ALD patients, reduce the levels of reactive oxygen species and alleviate oxidative stress, the inflammatory response, lipid metabolism disorder, and lipid peroxidation, thus helping to mitigate ALD. This review provides a reference for future ALD studies that evaluate the regulation of Se levels and contributes to studies on the potential pathological mechanisms of Se imbalance in ALD.

Synthesis of macromolecular Astragalus polysaccharide-nano selenium complex and the inhibitory effects on HepG2 cells

In the present study, the previously obtained macromolecuar-weight Astragalus polysaccharide (average molecular weight of 1.61 × 10⁶ Da) was used as a stabilizer and dispersing agent for nano-composites preparation by modifying selenium nanoparticles, and then the anti-hepatoma activity on HepG2 cells was investigated as well. Results showed that the nano-composites were obtained under polysaccharide concentration of 2 mg/mL and selenium/polysaccharide mass ratio of 1:15, and exhibited symmetrical spheroid with an average diameter of 62.3 nm, which has a good stability for 35 days at 4 °C. Furthermore, the in vitro anti-hepatoma experiments demonstrated that the composites could significantly inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and could induce the morphological changes, arrest the cell cycle in S phase, finally triggering HepG2 cells apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway. These data revealed that the composites had the potential to be a novel therapeutic drug or adjuvant for hepatoma-bearing patient treatments.

The Roles and Pathogenesis Mechanisms of a Number of Micronutrients in the Prevention and/or Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis, COVID-19 and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

A trace element is a chemical element with a concentration (or other measures of an amount) that is very low. The essential TEs, such as copper (Cu), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and the electrolyte magnesium (Mg) are among the most commonly studied micronutrients. Each element has been shown to play a distinctive role in human health, and TEs, such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), are among the essential elements required for the organisms' well-being as they play crucial roles in several metabolic pathways where they act as enzyme co-factors, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Epidemics of infectious diseases are becoming more frequent and spread at a faster pace around the world, which has resulted in major impacts on the economy and health systems. Different trace elements have been reported to have substantial roles in the pathogenesis of viral infections. Micronutrients have been proposed in various studies as determinants of liver disorders, COVID-19 and T2DM risks. This review article sheds light on the roles and mechanisms of micronutrients in the pathogenesis and prevention of chronic hepatitis B, C and E, as well as Coronavirus-19 infection and type-2 diabetes mellitus. An update on the status of the aforementioned micronutrients in pre-clinical and clinical settings is also briefly summarized.

Toxicological effects of nanoselenium in animals

The productivity and sustainability of livestock production systems are heavily influenced by animal nutrition. To maintain homeostatic balance in the body of the animal at different phases of life, the percentage of organically active minerals in livestock feed must be optimized. Selenium (Se) is a crucial trace mineral that is required for the maintenance of many functions of the body. Se nanoparticles (SeNPs) attracted considerable interest from researchers for a variety of applications a decade ago, owing to their extraordinary properties. SeNPs offer significant advantages over larger-sized materials, by having a comparatively wider surface area, increased surface energy, and high volume. Despite its benefits, SeNP also has toxic effects, therefore safety concerns must be taken for a successful application. The toxicological effects of SeNPs in animals are characterized by weight loss, and increased mortality rate. A safe-by-strategy to certify animal, human and environmental safety will contribute to an early diagnosis of all risks associated with SeNPs. This review is aimed at describing the beneficial uses and potential toxicity of SeNPs in various animals. It will also serve as a summary of different levels of SeNPs which should be added in the feed of animals for better performance.

Selenium-enriched Polysaccharide: an Effective and Safe Selenium Source of C57 Mice to Improve Growth Performance, Regulate Selenium Deposition, and Promote Antioxidant Capacity

Selenium-enriched polysaccharide (SeEPS) was prepared by reducing Se(IV) to elemental selenium and organic selenium in polysaccharide medium by the obtained Enterobacter cloacae strain Z0206 under aerobic conditions. In the present study, we focused on investigating the role of short-term supplementation of SeEPS at supernutritional doses in the regulation of growth performance, liver damage, antioxidant capacity, and selenium (Se) accumulation in C57 mice. Thirty-two C57 mice were randomly divided into four groups: the control group was gavaged with equal volume of phosphate-buffered saline, while the sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), selenomethionine (SeMet), and SeEPS groups were gavaged with 0.5 mg Se/kg BW of Na2SeO3, SeMet, and selenium-enriched polysaccharide (n = 8), respectively. We examined liver injury indicators, antioxidant capacity in the serum and liver, selenium deposition at different sites, selenoprotein levels, and selenocysteine-synthesizing and degradation-associated gene expression in mouse livers. SeEPS supplementation dramatically increased average daily weight gain but reduced the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) of mice (P < 0.05). Compared to Na2SeO3 and SeMet supplementation, SeEPS supplementation at supernutritional doses did not cause the liver damage. SeEPS supplementation also markedly enhanced total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities but reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the liver and serum (P < 0.05), while significantly increasing selenocysteine-synthesizing and degradation-related gene (SEPHS2, SEPSECS, Secisbp, Scly) expression at the mRNA level (P < 0.05), thus upregulating the mRNA levels of selenoproteins (SELENOP, SELENOK) (P < 0.05). We suggest that SeEPS could be a potential replacement for inorganic selenium to improve animals' growth performance, promote antioxidant capacity, and regulate selenium deposition.

Selenium and silver nanoparticles: A new approach for treatment of bacterial and viral hepatic infections via modulating oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation

Nanoparticles are recently playing a potential role in improving drug uptake and the treatment of diseases. A variety of nanoparticles, such as selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used as drug carriers in various ways for treatment of cancers and liver diseases. Our aim in this study is to investigate the ability of AgNPs and SeNPs to target and treat the viral and bacterial infection of the liver in rats and cell lines. For assessment of antioxidant activity of AgNPs in rats with induced liver bacterial infection, six adult male albino rats were included in this study, liver slices were taken and assigned to 6 groups. Markers of hepatic functions, oxidative stress, and inflammation in liver slices are carried out. Although for assessment of antiviral activity of SeNPs, hepatitis B virus transfected (HBV)-replicating human cell line HepG2 and normal hepatocyte cells were used, hepatic and inflammatory alterations are determined through quantitative polymerase chain reaction and comet assay techniques. The effect of AgNPs on interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor levels were reduced in different treated groups with AgNPs compared with the control and diseased groups. On the other hand, SeNPs revealed significant alterations in the inflammatory markers as well as DNA damage in the treated HBV-human cell line HepG2 compared to the diseased ones. AgNPs have the ability for producing various hepatic alterations and can inhibit the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in a dose and size-dependent manner. On the other hand, SeNPs showed excellent selectivity towards viral cells in the HepG2 cell lines. Both AgNPs and SeNPs might be promising drug designs for treating viral and bacterial liver diseases.

Citrate ligand-enhanced microscale zero-valent aluminum corrosion for carbon tetrachloride degradation with high electron utilization efficiency

Carbon tetrachloride (CT) is highly toxic and recalcitrant in groundwater. In recent years, zero-valent aluminum (ZVAl) is highly reductive but limited by its surface passivation film. One of the effective ways to overcome this bottleneck is to add ligands. In this paper, compared with several other ligands, sodium citrate (SC), a natural organic ligand, was introduced to enhance microscale ZVAl (mZVAl) reactivity for the reductive degradation of CT. The results showed that the SC system could effectively reduce but not completely dechlorinate CT and electron utilization efficiency was as high as 94%. However, without ligands, mZVAl is chemically inert for CT degradation. Through SEM-EDS, BET, XRD, and XPS characterizations and H₂ evolution experiments, enhanced mZVAl surface corrosion at the solid-liquid interface of mZVAl/SC system was verified. SC participated in the complexation corrosion reaction with surface inert film to form Al[Cit] complex, which made internal Al⁰ active sites exposed and then promoted mZVAl corrosion. In the five consecutive reuse experiments of mZVAl, CT can be completely degraded, which indicates that mZVAl, with the help of SC, has excellent sustainable utilization efficiency.

Selenium Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications: From Development and Characterization to Therapeutics

Selenium (Se) is an essential element to human health that can be obtained in nature through several sources. In the human body, it is incorporated into selenocysteine, an amino acid used to synthesize several selenoproteins, which have an active center usually dependent on the presence of Se. Although Se shows several beneficial properties in human health, it has also a narrow therapeutic window, and therefore the excessive intake of inorganic and organic Se-based compounds often leads to toxicity. Nanoparticles based on Se (SeNPs) are less toxic than inorganic and organic Se. They are both biocompatible and capable of effectively delivering combinations of payloads to specific cells following their functionalization with active targeting ligands. Herein, the main origin of Se intake, its role on the human body, and its primary biomedical applications are revised. Particular focus will be given to the main therapeutic targets that are explored for SeNPs in cancer therapies, discussing the different functionalization methodologies used to improve SeNPs stability, while enabling the extensive delivery of drug-loaded SeNP to tumor sites, thus avoiding off-target effects.