High antimicrobial, cytotoxicity, and catalytic activities of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles using Crocus caspius extract

Abstract

The green method for synthesizing various nanoparticles is defined as one of the environmentally friendly, promising, and safer technologies. In our study, the selenium nanoparticles (C@SeNPs) were synthesized by Crocus caspius aqueous extract. The existence of functional groups involved in the synthesis of SeNPs that were connected with bioactive compounds was confirmed by the FT-IR spectrum. The TGA curve confirmed about 60 % weight loss between 260 and 500 °C, implying biomolecules surround the metallic core. XRD analysis displayed the trigonal nature of SeNPs. The SEM and TEM images of C@SeNPs demonstrated semi-spherical in shape. EDX analysis identified the intense bond of selenium. Biosynthesized C@SeNPs were discovered to have considerable antioxidant and antibacterial activities on several strains of bacteria. An IC50 value of 67.63 ± 2.5 μg/ml was obtained for their iron-chelating activity. In addition, the fabricated SeNPs have a strong growth inhibitory effect on MCF-7 and AGS cancer cells. C@SeNPs exhibited effective antifungal activity against tested fungi strains and antileishmanial activity against promastigotes. Besides, our NPs were able efficiently to degrade methylene blue (MB) dye in the presence of NaBH4. Thus, the current findings suggest the benefits of using green technology to synthesize SeNPs with potential activity.