article · Pharmaceuticals
Selenium nanoparticles can be produced sustainably using the fungus Aspergillus flavus, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional synthesis methods. Characterisation shows these spherical particles measure between 28 and 78 nanometres in size. Laboratory evaluations demonstrate that these biogenic nanoparticles possess broad antimicrobial efficacy against bacterial pathogens including Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. They also exhibit notable anticancer activity against pancreatic carcinoma, cervical cancer, and colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines. Furthermore, testing reveals substantial antiviral properties against herpes simplex virus type 1 and hepatitis A virus at non-toxic concentrations, alongside documented antioxidant and antibiofilm actions. These combined biological activities highlight the multi-target medicinal potential of fungal-derived selenium nanoparticles for healthcare interventions.
Rising rates of antibiotic resistance and persistent infectious diseases create an urgent need for versatile, non-toxic therapeutic agents. Using a biological approach to synthesise selenium nanoparticles avoids hazardous chemical reagents while yielding an agent with multiple medical actions. Demonstrating simultaneous antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer effects in standard laboratory models offers a pathway toward developing new multi-functional therapies.
This work points toward potential applications in pharmaceutical development, surface treatments, or therapeutic formulations targeting microbial infections and specific cancers. The primary users would be biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical developers, and antimicrobial product manufacturers. Currently, the research is at an early experimental stage, having demonstrated in vitro bioactivity against selected pathogens and cancer cell lines without yet progressing to in vivo safety trials or formal process scale-up.
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This study utilized Aspergillus flavus to produce selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) in an environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable manner, targeting several medicinal applications. These biosynthesized Se-NPs were meticulously characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV), revealing their spherical shape and size ranging between 28 and 78 nm. We conducted further testing of Se-NPs to evaluate their potential for biological applications, including antiviral, anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antibiofilm activities. The results indicate that biosynthesized Se-NPs could be effective against various pathogens, including Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 14028), Bacillus pumilus (ATCC 14884), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Clostridium sporogenes (ATCC 19404), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739), and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633). Additionally, the biosynthesized Se-NPs exhibited anticancer activity against three cell lines: pancreatic carcinoma (PANC1), cervical cancer (Hela), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), with IC50 values of 177, 208, and 216 μg/mL, respectively. The nanoparticles demonstrated antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HAV, achieving inhibition rates of 66.4% and 15.1%, respectively, at the maximum non-toxic concentration, while also displaying antibiofilm and antioxidant properties. In conclusion, the biosynthesized Se-NPs by A. flavus present a promising avenue for various biomedical applications with safe usage.
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DOI: 10.3390/ph17070915
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