Development of selenium nanoparticles stabilized by novel polysaccharides from Stauntonia brachyanthera pulp for anti-hepatoma cell proliferation

In this study, the novel polysaccharides extracted from Stauntonia Brachyanthera pulp were used as stabilizers for the preparation of selenium nanoparticles (SBPPs-SeNPs). The preparation process, structural characterization, stability, and anti-hepatoma cell activity of SBPPs-SeNPs were studied in detail. The results showed that the SBPPs-SeNPs were symmetrical spheres with an average diameter of about 30–40 nm under optimal process parameters. SBPPs interacted with SeNPs via hydroxyl groups on the surface of SBPPs to form C–O–Se bonds. SBPPs-SeNPs exhibited good stability during the 21-day storage period at 4 °C, likely due to the interaction between SeNPs and the hydroxyl groups. Moreover, in vitro anti-tumor experiments demonstrated that SBPPs-SeNPs significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and induced morphological changes, and cell cycle arrest in S phase. SBPPs-SeNPs also triggered apoptosis in HepG2 cells through the mitochondrial pathway. Our findings suggested that SBPPs-SeNPs have the potential to become novel anti-hepatoma agents.