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Research article2025Peer reviewedOpen access

Synthesis and its characterisation of selenium/silver/chitosan and cellular toxicity against liver carcinoma cells studies

Eslamieh-ei, Fateme Momen; Sharifimoghaddammood, Negar; Tousi, Samira Amin Poustchi; Basharkhah, Samira; Mottaghipisheh, Javad; Es-haghi, Ali; Yazdi, Mohammad Ehsan Taghavizadeh; Iriti, Marcello

Abstract

Liver cancer is one of the most common lethal malignancy in the world. To treat liver cancer, new cure options are crucial. The use of natural substances along nanosciences may provide healing with lower toxicity and a smaller amount of side properties. In this research, The three-component selenium-silver-chitosan nanocomposite (Se-Ag-CS NCs) were synthesised with the help of ultrasound in a stepwise manner. The as-synthesised Se-Ag-CS NCs were characterised accordingly by applying powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and potential. The PXRD demonstrated that the NCs were synthesised successfully and the grain sizes of 27.3 were obtained. The FESEM and TEM analyses have shown the NCs have a nano-sized structure with spherical and rod-like morphologies in a coating of CS. The DLS analysis also revealed that NCs were synthesised in nanoscale particles. The NCs' surface charge was also positive due to the presence of chitosan. Different concentrations of NCs (0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.500, and 1 mg/ml) were tested at different times (24, 48, and 72 h) to measure cytotoxicity against liver cancer cells. The results showed at a concentration of 1 mg/mL in 72 h, the most toxicity effects were applied to liver cancer cells. Moreover, the results indicated NCs can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, while the toxicity of nanocomposite on normal cells was less. It is important to create nanocomposites derived from natural polymers as a new strategy in cancer treatment that can fight cancer cells while having low toxicity for normal cells. Therefore, the present results can be considered in improving cancer-fighting methods.

Keywords

Nanoparticles; natural biopolymers; silver; selenium; cytotoxicity

Published in

Natural Product Research
2025, volume: 39, number: 1, pages: 135-143
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd.

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Other Chemistry Topics

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2023.2256023

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/129613