Green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles using Cordia myxa extract and assessment of their cytotoxic and antioxidant properties.

Objective: This research aimed to explore the cytotoxic, apoptotic, and antioxidant effects of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) produced by Cordia myxa (C. myxa) aqueous extract via a green reduction method.

Materials and methods: To synthesize Se-NPs, Na₂SeO₃ and C. myxa plant extract were used and their anticancer and antioxidant effects were investigated. After the synthesis of Se-NPs, their physicochemical properties were investigated by various techniques such as UV-Vis, XRD, TEM, FESEM/PSA, EDX, FT-IR, and DLS/Zeta. Next, the lethality of Se-NPs on cancerous Huh-7 and normal L929 cells was investigated. Then, using Annexin V/PI and DAPI kits, the number of apoptotic cells in terms of the obtained percentage and the amount of ROS production was determined by flow cytometry. The influence of Se-NPs on the expression of genes associated with apoptosis has been examined.

Results: The XRD pattern and FESEM/TEM images confirmed the successful production of Se-NPs with an amorphous nature and size average of 11.9 nm. Flow cytometry analyses revealed a significant increase in ROS levels after 24 h of treatment with Se-NPs, demonstrating a concentration-dependent effect.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that Se-NPs exhibit anticancer activity against Huh-7 cells, as evidenced by the upregulation of Bax, p53, and Caspase3 gene expression. Therefore, it can be asserted that Se-NPs have the potential to eliminate cancer cells, while simultaneously providing a protective effect on normal cells.