Preparation, characterization, and antioxidant capacities of selenium nanoparticles stabilized using polysaccharide–protein complexes from Corbicula fluminea

Abstract Selenium nanoparticles (SeNP) have recently received increasing attention as potential candidates to replace other forms of Se in diet nutritional supplements. Compared with polysaccharides (PS), polysaccharide–protein complexes (PSP) can be better stabilizers of NP because of their chemical structures. In this study, SeNP were prepared by introducing ascorbic acid to reduce sodium selenite using a PSP isolated from Asian clam ( Corbicula fluminea ) as a stabilizer and dispersing agent. The particle size, morphology, and structure of the PSP–SeNP were characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic measurements. Results showed that the PSP–SeNP prepared at different Se/PSP ratios (w/w) showed homogeneous and monodisperse spherical structures of ~40–70 nm. Specifically, at the Se/PSP (w/w) ratio of 1:2, the PSP–SeNP with minimum particle size (~43 nm) showed good stability in aqueous medium. Antioxidant activity in vitro showed that the same particles showed significant 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability in a dose-dependent manner and good antioxidant capacity using Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and ferric reducing ability of plasma assays. In addition, these particles showed low cytotoxic activity against SPCA-1 and HeLa cell lines in vitro . Therefore, the SeNP prepared using PSP might be used as a potential diet nutritional supplement with food and medical applications.