Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles from Broccoli, Characterization, Application and Toxicity

Abstract

Selenium in broccoliBroccoli belongs to the Brassicaceae family, originated in the Mediterranean regions and distributed in Europe and in the United States. Broccoli is rich in micronutrients such as carotene, vitamin C and folic acid-fibers, phytochemicals such as glucosinolates (GLs) and *Corresponding author: Kanchan Kohli, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard University, New Delhi 110062, India, Tel: +911126059688; E-mail: drkanchankohli@gmail.com AbstractPlant-based diets and phytochemicals present in plants can be used to decrease the risk of cancer. This article deals with Brassica species and broccoli in particular which are associated with reduced risk of several important cancers. These plants mainly contain selenium (Se) covalently bound in a number of different chemical forms which is mainly responsible for its biological activity. Further, several enzymes contain selenium in the form of the unusual selenocysteine amino acid which act on free radicals. Broccoli has the ability to accumulate Se many-fold beyond the concentration of Se present in the soil. Reflecting on the above it can be suggested that development of methods to increase the natural accumulation of Se in broccoli may greatly enhance its health-promoting properties. The present article details about green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles and their methods of characterizations. Green synthesis is a biological procedure which can be achieved can be achieved by using plant extracts. This method is capable of producing SeNPs in a size range of about 50-150 nm, under ambient conditions. It was found that SeNPs are able to inhibit the cell growth by dose-dependent manner. In addition, combination of SeNPs and doxorubicin shows better anticancer effect than individual treatments. The present review also brings to light about the causes and implications of toxic effects posed by Se nanoparticles as well as applications of Se nanoparticles in medicine.Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles from Broccoli, Characterization, Application and Toxicity Citation: Kapur M, Soni K, Kohli K (2017) Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles from Broccoli, Characterization, Application and Toxicity. Adv Tech Biol Med 5: 198. doi: 10.4172/2379-1764.1000198 Page 2 of 7 ManaviVolume Se Nanoparticles Characterization [42]An initial characterization of the test substance is imperative before any toxicity screening is commenced. A more extensive and complete characterization, including size distribution, shape, surface area, surface chemistry, crystallinity, porosity, agglomeration state, surface charge, solubility, etc., is recommended for nanomaterials in order to determine the correct correlation between their physicochemical properties and the biological effects they elicit [43][44][45][46].

Green Synthesis of Selenium and Tellurium Nanoparticles: Current Trends, Biological Properties and Biomedical Applications

“…The same group took advantage of the medicinal properties of Cassia auriculata to synthesize functional SeNPs that displayed interesting anticancer and antiproliferative characteristics [241]. Similar studies have reported the use of Vitis vinifera [32], broccoli extract [108], and Capsicum annum [242] to fabricate Se nanorods and nanoballs. Importantly, Ramamurthy et al presented a combination of SeNPs, made using fenugreek seed extract, and doxorubicin to form a chemoprotective agent against cancer [243]; Vennila et al studied the antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activity of SeNPs biofabricated by Spermacoce hispida and functionalized with apigenin, quinoline, quinazoline, and synaptogenin B [244]; Kokila et al reported on Se-NPs using the leaves of Diospyros montana as a biocidal agent against both Gram+ S. aureus and Gram-E. coli and the fungus A. niger [245].…”

“…The characterization of metalloid NPs is needed to correlate their physicochemical properties to their biological effects and toxicity [49,[104][105][106][107]. The initial physicochemical characterization of these NPs is carried out by using a myriad of routine lab techniques to analyze their shape, size and size distribution, porosity, surface chemistry, crystallinity, and dispersion pattern [108]. The most widely used techniques include UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, luminescence spectroscopy (LS), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD).…”

“…Electron microscopy techniques, such as TEM and SEM, enable the study of NP shape and size to deduce their size distribution along with elemental composition (EDX) [21,109]. According to Kapur et al, magnified field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images provide information about the nature and composition of the NPs [108]. The FTIR is an efficient technique that provides reproducible analyses used to reveal the presence of functional groups at the NP surface.…”

“…These groups may be involved in the reduction of the metal ions and/or the NP capping that ensures the colloidal stability [58,95]. In addition to determining the surface charge (z-potential) of the NPs, the dynamic light scattering (DLS) provides the NP hydrodynamic diameter and good insight into their stability/aggregation by measuring their Brownian motion [108]. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides quantitative information about length, width, height, morphology, and surface texture of NPs through a tridimensional visualization [56].…”

Brassica oleracea Mediated Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and its Antibacterial Activity against Pathogenic Bacteria

“…Plants extracts act as a reservoir of several pharmacologically active metabolites and allow the synthesis of nanoparticles in well-defined size and shape controlled manner [14]. Brassica oleracea contains a wide range of biologically active compounds like glucosinolates, polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids and micronutrients such as vitamin C, carotene and folic acid-fibers [15]. The present work aims to investigate the role of Brassica oleracea extract in synthesis and stabilization of ZnO nanoparticles.…”