Allium paradoxum extract mediated green synthesis of SeNPs: Assessment of their anticancer, antioxidant, iron chelating activities, and antimicrobial activities against fungi, ATCC bacterial strains, Leishmania parasite, and catalytic reduction of methylene blue

Abstract

Allium paradoxum extract was used to make selenium nanoparticles (A-SeNPs). The morphological features showed the semi-spherical A-SeNPs with an average diameter of 37.5 nm from the TEM image. The EDX and XRD data confirmed the synthesis of A-SeNPs and FT-IR spectrum observed the importance of bio-functional group existing in A-Extract in the fabrication of A-SeNPs. Also, TG/DTA diagram proved the presence of capping agent on the surface of nanoparticles and the stability of these NPs. Furthermore, the efficiency of Methylene blue (MB) dye degradation obtained 100% for 50, 60, and 70 μl of A-SeNPs (700 μg/ml). The antioxidant activity of A-SeNPs (2.73–87.7 μg/ml) was assessed via DPPH radical scavenging assay, demonstrating an IC50 value of 92.55 ± 1.35 μg/ml. In the Ferrozine assay, A-SeNPs (1.33–41.66 μg/ml) showed potent iron chelation activity with an IC50 value of 24.8 ± 0.73 μg/ml. In the antibacterial investigation, A-SeNPs (0.17–175 μg/ml) demonstrated the highest activity against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. Besides, our nanoparticles had high antifungal activity against several fungi strains and also presented IC50 value of 35.49 μg/ml against promastigotes. A-SeNPs exhibited anticancer activity on MCF-7 and AGS cells with IC50 values of 33.97 and 22.33 μg/ml, respectively. Therefore, synthesized SeNPs presented high potential in various applications.