Selective biological effects of natural selenized polysaccharides from Fomes fomentarius mycelia loaded solid lipid nanoparticles on bacteria and gastric cancer cells

Abstract

The use of mushroom products as a dietary supplement is very common. One of these compounds includes the polysaccharides from the therapeutic fungus Fomes fomentarius, which has long been used to treat cancer. However, their effectiveness is poor due to their low solubility and stability. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are nanocarriers that can enhance their effectiveness. In this study, Fomes fomentarius polysaccharides (EPS) and polysaccharides enriched with selenium (EPS-Se) were loaded into SLNs (SLN-EPS and SLN-EPS-Se). SLN synthesis was optimized using the response surface method (RSM) which showed that the drug/lipid and surfactant concentrations have significant effects (p < 0.05) on particle size and zeta potential. RSM results further showed that under optimal synthesis conditions (drug/lipid ratio: 0.062 (w/w), surfactant: 8.88 wt%), the particle size and zeta potential of these nanoparticles were 277.4 nm and −44.9 mV, respectively. Nanoparticle properties were further characterized with FITR, DSC, AFM, and FESEM. Lastly, the SLN-EPS-Se inhibited E. coli and S. aureus growth more than 50% and 78.5% after just 48 h (p < 0.05). SLN-EPS-Se inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cells AGS and MKN45 by 70% and 60%, respectively, by inducing necrosis, apoptosis, and disruption in cell cycles after 3 days. In summary, the results from this study suggest that the presently fabricated SLNs loaded with polysaccharides from Fomes fomentarius can be used as an improved drug supplement for cancer patients, especially those with weakened immune systems that suffer from bacterial infections.