Ultrasound-assisted preparation of sweet corn cob polysaccharide selenium nanoparticles alleviates symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome†

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term chronic condition that predisposes individuals to oxidative stress and disruption of the gut microbiota. In this study, sweet corn cob polysaccharide selenium nanoparticles (U-SCPSeNPs) with relatively small particle sizes were prepared using an ultrasound-assisted method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) were used to characterize the U-SCPSeNPs and determine the monosaccharide composition of the U-SCPSeNPs. The U-SCPSeNPs were used to improve the CFS of the mice. The results showed that the ultrasound-assisted method reduced the particle size of the SeNPs, and U-SCPSeNPs with a particle size of 76.74 nm and a selenium content of 186.83 ± 7.80 mg g⁻¹ were obtained at an ultrasonication time of 40 min. Sweet corn cob (SCP) bound to the SeNPs through hydrogen bonding. In terms of energy production, the production capacity of Na⁺–K⁺-ATP, Mg²⁺-ATP, and Ca²⁺-ATP was enhanced by U-SCPSeSCP in CFS mice; In terms of oxidative stress, the levels of SOD and MDA were decreased and CAT and GSH-Px were increased by SCPSeSCP. U-SCPSeSCP improved the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiota in CFS mice, and decreasing the relative abundance of Firmicutes increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidota at the phylum level. This study provides a reference for synthesizing polysaccharide SeNPs and assessing the ability of U-SCPSeNPs to alleviate CFS.