Hyperbranched Polysaccharide Research Articles

Solution characterization of a hyperbranched polysaccharide carbamate derivative and specific phase separation behavior due to chain branching.

A hyperbranched polymer consisting of rigid helical part chains was prepared as highly branched cyclic dextrin tris(phenylcarbamate) (HTPC) with the weight-average molar masses of 880 and 590 kg mol-1. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement and viscometry were performed on the samples in good and poor solvents to determine the dimensional and hydrodynamic properties in solution. The HTPC molecule has a much more compact conformation than the linear chain with the same molar mass as expected for the hyperbranched architecture. While the corresponding linear polymer is soluble in methyl acetate (MEA) over a wide temperature range, HTPC is only soluble in the solvent at low temperatures. A typical LCST-type phase diagram was observed for the HTPC-MEA system, indicating that the interactions between the polymer segment of HTPC and the MEA molecules are substantially different from those of the linear chains. This is most likely due to the bending helical chains near the branching point of HTPC having different interactions with solvent molecules.

Tuning the Phytoglycogen Size and Aggregate Structure with Solvent Quality: Influence of Water-Ethanol Mixtures Revealed by X-ray and Light Scattering Techniques.

Phytoglycogen (PG) is a hyperbranched polysaccharide with promising properties for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Herein, we explore the size and structure of sweet corn PG nanoparticles and their aggregation in water-ethanol mixtures up to the ethanol mole fraction xEtOH = 0.364 in dilute concentrations using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Between 0 ≤ xEtOH ≤ 0.129, the conformation of PG contracts gradually decreasing up to ca. 80% in hydrodynamic volume, when measured shortly after ethanol addition. For equilibrated PG dispersions, SAXS suggests a lower PG volume decrease between 19 and 67% at the corresponding xEtOH range; however, the inflection point of the DLS volume contraction coincides with the onset of reduced colloidal stability observed with SAXS. Up to xEtOH = 0.201, the water-ethanol mixtures yield labile fractal and globular aggregates, as evidenced by their partial breakup under mild ultrasonic treatment, demonstrated by the decrease in their hydrodynamic size. Between 0.235 ≤ xEtOH ≤ 0.364, PG nanoparticles form larger, more cohesive globular aggregates that are less affected by ultrasonic shear forces.

Effect of Starch Primers on the Fine Structure of Enzymatically Synthesized Glycogen-like Glucan.

Glycogen-like glucan (GnG) is a unique hyperbranched polysaccharide nanoparticle which is drawing increasing attention due to its biodegradability and abundant short branches that can be functionalized. Because starch and GnG are both composed of glucose residues and have similar glucosidic bonds, GnG could be fabricated by sucrose phosphorylase, α-glucan phosphorylase, and branching enzymes from starch primers and sucrose. In this study, high-amylose starch, normal starch, and waxy corn starch were used as primers to synthesize GnG, and their impact on the fine structure of GnG was investigated. Structural analysis indicated that with increasing content of amylopectin in the starch primer, the proportion of short chains in GnG decreased, and the degree of β-amylolysis and α-amylolysis was enhanced. Amylose in the primer contributed to a compact and homogeneous structure of GnG, while amylopectin triggered the formation of branch points with a more open distribution. These findings provide a new strategy for regulating the fine structure of GnG.

Rheological and pH dependent properties of injectable and controlled release hydrogels based on mushroom hyperbranched polysaccharide and xanthan gum

Hydrogels with thixotropic and pH-sensitive properties exhibit injectablity and response to external stimulation. Thixotropic and pH-responsive hydrogels were fabricated from xanthan gum (XG) and a hyperbranched β-D-glucan (TM3a) crosslinked with sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) for injectable and release-controlled application. Thixotropy and creep-recovery tests were carried out to determine injectable and viscoelastic properties of the XG-TM3a-STMP hydrogels. Introduction of TM3a and formation of chemically crosslinking structures resulted in higher yield stress (43.6–168.9 Pa) and elastic modulus (146.9–1245.7 Pa), lower retardation time (32.6–44.4 s), and higher recovery percentage (49.5–66.7%) for XG-TM3a-STMP compared to XG-STMP and XG-TM3a-water. FTIR spectra and SEM observation demonstrated that TM3a disassembled XG aggregates by partially breaking hydrogen bonds, resulting in a relatively thin wall of the grids for XG-TM3a-STMP. The XG-TM3a-STMP hydrogels exhibited pH dependant swelling property and controlled release behavior. The hybrid hydrogels have potential applications in 3D printing or injectable tissue engineering and drug release fields.

Chain conformation of an acidic polysaccharide from green tea and related mechanism of α-amylase inhibitory activity

An acidic tea polysaccharide (TPSA) isolated from green tea was fractionated using a precipitation-fractionation method into seven fractions with different molecular weights. TPSA was characterized as a hyperbranched polysaccharide with a globular homogeneous conformation by analysis of solution parameters of each fraction using static light scattering and viscosity analyses. Observation by transmission electron microscopy confirmed that TPSA occurred as globular homogeneous particles with size in the range of 20–40 nm. To simulate the branched chain segments of TPSA, four model molecules were designed based on chemical structure of TPSA. Molecular docking analysis indicated that the branched chain segments of TPSA similar to the TPSA-4 model molecule showed preferential binding to α-amylase to form the TPSA/α-amylase complex through hydrogen bonding interactions. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the structure of α-amylase was not significantly affected by TPSA. The mechanism of α-amylase inhibitory activity of TPSA was simulated by molecular docking analysis. The branched chain segments of TPSA similar to the TPSA-4 model molecule likely act as a potential competitor to the starch substrate to inhibit the activity of α-amylase.

Phospholipid-Decorated Glycogen Nanoparticles for Stimuli-Responsive Drug Release and Synergetic Chemophotothermal Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Dendritic macromolecules are potential candidates for nanomedical application. Herein, glycogen, the natural hyperbranched polysaccharide with favorable biocompatibility, is explored as an effective drug vehicle for treating liver cancer. In this system, glycogen is oxidized and conjugated with cancer drugs through a disulfide link, followed by in situ loading of polypyrrole nanoparticles and then coated with functional phospholipids to form the desired system, Gly-ss-DOX@ppy@Lipid-RGD. The phospholipid layer has good cell affinity and can assist the system to penetrate into cells smoothly. Additionally, combined with the "fusion targeting" of glycogen and the active targeting effect of RGD toward liver cancer cells, Gly-ss-DOX@ppy@Lipid-RGD presents efficient specificity and enrichment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Owing to the glutathione-triggered cleavage of disulfide linkers, Gly-ss-DOX@ppy@Lipid-RGD can controllably release drugs to induce cell nucleus damage. Meanwhile, the polypyrrole nanoparticles can absorb near-infrared light and radiate heat energy within tumors. Besides enhancing drug release, the heat can also provide photothermal treatment for tumors. As proved by in vitro and in vivo experiments, Gly-ss-DOX@ppy@Lipid-RGD is a remarkable candidate for synergistic chemophotothermal therapy with high anticancer therapeutic activity and reduced systematic toxicity, efficiently suppressing tumor growth. All results demonstrate that glycogen nanoparticles are expected to be a new building block for accurate hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

Emulsions Stabilized by Gum Arabic: How Diversity and Interfacial Networking Lead to Metastability.

Gum arabic is a natural hydrocolloid composed of a diversity of amphiphilic species consisting of protein chains covalently linked to multiscale porous polysaccharides. Gum arabic is notably used as a food additive (E414) to provide metastability to oil-in-water emulsions, even after extensive dilution. Here, we investigate the mechanism underlying the emulsion stabilizing properties of gum arabic, using a combination of scattering and chromatographic analyses and the design of a harvesting method to collect adsorbed species. Increasing the interfacial packing of amphiphilic species leads to their irreversible interfacial aggregation, which is driven by hydrophobic interactions between protein chains. This aggregation is promoted by the size diversity of amphiphilic species, with smaller species first aggregating at intermediate interfacial packings, followed by larger species at higher packings. The resulting adsorbed layer can be considered as a shell composed of a two-dimensional protein network, irreversibly cross-linked through hydrophobic interactions, which is covalently linked to hyperbranched polysaccharide chains displaying severe conformational changes compared to their bulk structure. This shell is strongly anchored at the oil-water interface by the protein network and provides steric repulsions through the hydrated polysaccharides. Consequently, if such a shell is adequately formed during emulsification, emulsions stabilized by gum arabic may resist extensive mechanical stresses and display a long-term metastability even after drastic environmental changes. This paves the way toward more rational uses of gum arabic as an emulsion stabilizer in formulations and processes.

Rheological and controlled release properties of hydrogels based on mushroom hyperbranched polysaccharide and xanthan gum

A hyperbranched polysaccharide, coded as TM3a, was extracted from the Pleurotus tuber-regium sclerotia. TM3a was hybridized with xanthan gum (XG) by chemical crosslinking using sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) to obtain new hydrogels with self-healing and release-controlled properties. The oscillatory rheological measurements indicated that chemically crosslinking was happened immediately on mixing STMP solutions into the XG-TM3a solutions, and the crosslinked network developed slightly as time increased. The resultant hydroges were disturbed into the loose structures and regrouped the microstructure in 2 min when a large and a small amplitude oscillation were applied in turn, suggesting a self-healable property. The XG-TM3a-STMP hydrogels exhibited shear-thinning behavior with yield stress. The storage modulus of the XG5-TM3a-STMP hydrogel was 445.2 Pa at 1% strain and 243.3 Pa at 100% strain, and yield stress was 160.6 Pa, which was higher than the corresponding value of the XG5-STMP hydrogel. The morphological observation indicated the aggregates of double helical XG chains exhibited directional arrangement, and were combined with the TM3a aggregates to constitute a network of hierarchical structures. The hybrid hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties displayed good drug loading efficiencies and sustained drug release properties.

One-Step Synthesis of Quadrilateral-Shaped Silver Nanoplates with Lamellar Structures Tuned by Amylopectin Derivatives.

Polymers or small molecules with functional groups were always employed to synthesize two-dimensional (2D) silver nanostructures, but the polysaccharides and derivatives have rarely been used for their preparation, let alone of uniform quadrilateral shapes. Herein, amylopectin derivatives containing concentrated carboxyl groups were first used for the synthesis of uniform 2D quadrilateral silver nanoplates (QAgNPs) with lamellar structure. As a native hyperbranched polysaccharide, amylopectin was esterified with 10-undecenoyl chloride and then modified via thiol–ene click chemistry to introduce high amount and high density of carboxyl groups. Then, QAgNPs were synthesized via UV photoreduction in the presence of the resultant amylopectin 11-((3-carboxyl)ethylthio)undecanoate (APUE3-MPA) in water–tetrahydrofuran binary system. QAgNPs showed novel uniform quadrilateral shapes with lamellar structure, as verified by their wide-angle X-ray scattering patterns. The average interlayer distance was around 1.3 nm, whereas the average edge lengths of QAgNPs varied between 0.29 ± 0.07 and 1.09 ± 0.25 μm. The concentration of APUE3-MPA and the amount of water in the reaction system strongly affected the shapes of QAgNPs. Thus, the reaction system and the arrangement of numerous carboxyl groups were the key factors for the formation of lamellar-structured QAgNPs.

Effect of ultrasound on size, morphology, stability and antioxidant activity of selenium nanoparticles dispersed by a hyperbranched polysaccharide from Lignosus rhinocerotis

The differences between ultrasonic and non-ultrasonic approaches in synthesizing Lignosus rhinocerotis polysaccharide-selenium nanoparticles (LRP-SeNPs) were compared in terms of size, morphology, stability and antioxidant activity by UV-VIS, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) with high resolution TEM. Results indicated that the SeNPs were associated with the LRP macromolecules in a physical adsorption pattern without breaking chemical bonds, and the ultrasonic treatment reduced the size of SeNPs, narrowed the size distribution as well as improved the stability. Due to the LRP compact coil structure loosed under ultrasonic cavitation, the SeNPs could be easily diffused into the LRP internal branches instead of gathering on the LRP surface and were well dispersed and eventually stabilized throughout the extended branches. After ultrasound treatment, the SeNPs had a minimum average diameter of ∼50 nm and the LRP-SeNPs could remain homogeneous and translucent for 16 days within 200 nm size. Furthermore, the ultrasound-treated LRP-SeNPs exhibited higher DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging abilities than those untreated with ultrasound. This difference may be attributed to the reason that ultrasound can reduce the SeNPs size and increase the specific surface area, which provides sufficient active sites to react with the free radicals and suppress the oxidizing reactions. The integrated results demonstrated that ultrasound played a crucial role in the dispersion, size control, stabilization and antioxidant activity of SeNPs.

A hyperbranched β-d-glucan with compact coil conformation from Lignosus rhinocerotis sclerotia.

An alkali-soluble polysaccharide was extracted from Lignosus rhinocerotis sclerotia (LRP). Its structural characteristics were determined by GC-MS, FT-IR, GC, 1D and 2D NMR combined with Smith degradation and methylation analysis. The LRP had a (1→3)-β-d-Glcp backbone with every three residues bearing a (1→6)-linked and hyperbranched side chain that contained three (1→6)-β-d-Glcp residues as secondary main chain and two terminal β-d-Glcp residues linked at O3. The degree of branching was 0.76 from GC-MS analysis, implying a highly branched structure for LRP. The Mw, <S2>z1/2, Rh and [η] values of LRP in 0.25M LiCl/DMSO were measured by SEC-MALLS-Vis-RI combination technology to be 2.88×105g/mol, 30.36nm, 22.34nm and 131.50ml/g, respectively. Furthermore, the exponent α of [η]-Mw, β of <S2>z1/2-Mw, the fractal dimension df and molecular parameter ρ were determined to be 0.20, 0.33, 2.50 and 1.36, demonstrating that the LRP was a hyperbranched polysaccharide and adopted a compact coil conformation in LiCl/DMSO.

Emulsion stabilized with phytoglycogen octenyl succinate prolongs the antimicrobial efficacy of ε-poly-l-lysine against Escherichia coli O157:H7

ɛ-Poly-l-lysine (EPL) is a food-grade cationic antimicrobial compound with a wide antimicrobial spectrum against bacteria, yeasts, and molds. However, EPL can be subject to rapid depletion after initial application and lose activity quickly. To address this problem, this study used Escherichia coli O157:H7 and tryptic soy agar (TSA) deep-well depletion model to evaluate the prolonged antibacterial efficacy of EPL stabilized with emulsions formed by three types of emulsifier: (1) phytoglycogen octenyl succinate (PG-OS), an amphiphilic carbohydrate particulate; (2) waxy corn starch octenyl succinate (WCS-OS), an amphiphilic hyperbranched polysaccharide; and (3) Tween 20, a neutral small-molecule surfactant. During 20 days of storage at 4 °C, the residual antibacterial efficacy of EPL in PG-OS emulsion was the greatest. In contrast, Tween-20 and WCS-OS emulsions were not as effective as PG-OS emulsion to retain antibacterial activity. Meanwhile, equilibrium dialysis showed the greatest EPL retention with PG-OS emulsion, suggesting the impact of electrostatic and structural properties of emulsifiers at the oil-water interface on prolonged EPL efficacy against E. coli O157:H7.

Carboxymethylated hyperbranched polysaccharide: Synthesis, solution properties, and fabrication of hydrogel

The periphery of hyperbranched polysaccharides has many end groups that can be functioned and used as sites to interact with their surroundings. A water-insoluble hyperbranched β-d-glucan, coded as TM3a, extracted from sclerotia of an edible fungus (Pleurotus tuber-regium), was fractionated and modified chemically to obtain carboxymethylated derivatives (CTM3a). The solution properties of the carboxymethylated polysaccharides were studied systematically in phosphate buffer saline at 37°C. The results indicated that the carboxymethylated glucans still kept hyperbranched structure after carboxymethylation, and existed as a swollen sphere-like chain conformation. The introduction of carboxymethylated groups permitted the formation of hydrogels through crosslinking CTM3a and silk fibroin with carbodiimide chemistry. The resultant hydrogels with porous and interconnected structure displayed good mechanical and swelling properties. This work provides some valuable and fundamental information of the natural hyperbranched polysaccharide from mushroom for further application in biomedical devices and tissue engineering.

Efficient delivery of NF-κB siRNA to human retinal pigment epithelial cells with hyperbranched cationic polysaccharide derivative-based nanoparticles.

A hyperbranched cationic polysaccharide derivative-mediated small interfering (si)RNA interference strategy was proposed to inhibit nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation in human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells for the gene therapy of diabetic retinopathy. Two hyperbranched cationic polysaccharide derivatives containing the same amount of cationic residues, but with different branching structures and molecular weights, including 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylamine-conjugated glycogen (DMAPA-Glyp) and amylopectin (DMAPA-Amp) derivatives, were developed for the efficient delivery of NF-κB siRNA into hRPE cells. The DMAPA-Glyp derivative showed lower toxicity against hRPE cells. Furthermore, the DMAPA-Glyp derivative more readily condensed siRNA and then formed the nanoparticles attributed to its higher branching architecture when compared to the DMAPA-Amp derivative. Both DMAPA-Glyp/siRNA and DMAPA-Amp/siRNA nanoparticles were able to protect siRNA from degradation by nuclease in 25% fetal bovine serum. The particle sizes of the DMAPA-Glyp/siRNA nanoparticles (70–120 nm) were smaller than those of the DMAPA-Amp/siRNA nanoparticles (130–180 nm) due to the higher branching architecture and lower molecular weight of the DMAPA-Glyp derivative. In addition, the zeta potentials of the DMAPA-Glyp/siRNA nanoparticles were higher than those of the DMAPA-Glyp/siRNA nanoparticles. As a result, siRNA was much more efficiently transferred into hRPE cells using the DMAPA-Glyp/siRNA nanoparticles rather than the DMAPA-Amp/siRNA nanoparticles. This led to significantly high levels of suppression on the expression levels of NF-κB p65 messenger RNA and protein in the cells transfected with DMAPA-Glyp/siRNA nanoparticles. This work provides a potential approach to promote hyperbranched polysaccharide derivatives as nonviral siRNA vectors for the inhibition of NF-κB activation in hRPE cells.

Chain conformation and immunomodulatory activity of a hyperbranched polysaccharide from Cordyceps sinensis

A polysaccharide, named as cordysinan, extracted from natural Cordyceps sinensis, was identified as a hyperbranched heteropolysaccharide from the results of FT-IR, GC–MS, and carbohydrate analysis by carbohydrate gel electrophoresis analysis, as well as the degree of branching of cordysinan was 43.3%. The solution properties of cordysinan were investigated by using size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering and triple detector array, respectively. The molecular weights, the radius of gyration and the intrinsic viscosity of cordysinan were determined as 22.45±0.26kDa and 22.37kDa, 15.4±2.4nm and 1.41mL/g, respectively. By applying the polymer solution theory, the exponent (ν and α) values of S2z1/2=kMwν and [η]=kMwα were calculated as 0.28 and 0.42, respectively, which firstly revealed that cordysinan existed as a globular shape in 0.9% NaCl aqueous solution. Moreover, the results showed that cordysinan could obviously stimulate macrophages functions.

Cell wall structure of mushroom sclerotium (Pleurotus tuber-regium): Part 2. Fine structure of a novel alkali-soluble hyper-branched cell wall polysaccharide

The fine molecular structure of a novel alkali-soluble polysaccharide (SCA-I) from the mushroom sclerotial cell wall of Pleurotus tuber-regium was elucidated by 1-D and 2-D NMR spectroscopy as a hyper-branched glucan having a 64.9% degree of branching at O-6 and consisting a main chain with →1)-Glcp-(4→ linkages and short side chains having either →1)-Glcp-(3→ or →1)-Glcp-(6→ linkages. This partial structure of SCA-I was consistent with that obtained from methylation analysis. The molecular conformation of SDS-treated SCA-I was visualized for the first time by TEM and AFM. Microscopic images confirmed the highly branched structure of SCA-I as well as its multiple chain conformation when its compact structure was opened up by SDS treatment. This unique hyper-branched polysaccharide has the potential application in the design of carbohydrate-based nano-particles and drug delivery systems.

Cationic amphiphilic polysaccharide nanoballs: protein stabilization and intracellular delivery by nano-encapsulation.

A new intracellular protein delivery nanocarrier with protein stabilizing ability was constructed of cationic amphiphilic polysaccharide nanoballs. Amphiphilic enzymatically synthesized glycogen (ESG) made by modification of hydrophobic cholesterol groups to ESG, which is a monodispersed spherical hyper-branched polysaccharide nanoparticle, formed self-assembled cluster nanogels (CHESG nanogels) in water. Cationic amphiphilic ESG derivatives where the diethylethylenediamine (DEAE) group was introduced into CHESG (CHESG-DEAE) were positively charged, monodispersed, and non-aggregated amphiphilic nanoballs with hydrophobic nanodomains provided by the cholesterol groups. The CHESG-DEAE strongly interacted with proteins and stabilized them against thermal denaturation. Furthermore, the cationic CHESG effectively internalized a number of proteins into HeLa cells. This cationic ESG nanoball-based material shows great potential as an effective protein delivery nanocarrier.

Dilute solution and rheological properties of hyperbranched polysaccharide from Pleurotus tuber-regium sclerotia

The dilute solution properties, critical coil overlap concentration, and rheological properties of the hyperbranched PTM3b polysaccharide were studied and compared. Flory factor (Φ) values of PTM3b in different solvents were smaller than those of linear chains as a result of the hyperbranched structure and wide polydispersity index. The relationships of ‘zero shear’ specific viscosity (ηsp,0) and coil overlap parameter (c[η]) were represented asηsp,0∝c1.05±0.03, ηsp,0∝c1.45±0.03 and ηsp,0∝c2.89±0.11 for the dilute, semi-dilute, and concentrated solution regions of PTM3b in 0.15 M aqueous NaCl, and coil overlap parameters were c*[η] = 0.07 and c**[η] = 0.29. Shear-thinning behavior was observed for PTM3b in 0.15 M aqueous NaCl in high concentration region, whereas Newtonian behavior in relatively low concentration region. The slope values of 2.34 and 12.8 were obtained from the double logarithmic plot of η0 versus c for PTM3b in 0.15 M aqueous NaCl. The slope value of 12.8 suggested that the hyperbranched polysaccharide resembled incompressible coils in the higher concentrated region. This work could provide some valuable and fundamental information to further understand the natural hyperbranched polysaccharide solutions from dilute to concentrated regions.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Lectin Recognition of Hyperbranched Polysaccharide Obtained from 1,6-Anhydro-d-hexofuranose

1,6-Anhydro-D-hexofuranoses, such as 1,6-anhydro-β-D-glucofuranose (1), 1,6-anhydro-β-D-mannofuranose (2), and 1,6-anhydro-α-D-galactofuranose (3), were polymerized using a thermally induced cationic catalyst in dry propylene carbonate to afford hyperbranched polysaccharides (poly1-3) with degrees of branching from 0.40 to 0.46. The weight-average molecular weights of poly1-3 measured by multiangle laser light scattering varied in the range from (1.02 to 5.84) × 10(4) g·mol(-1), which were significantly higher than those measured by size exclusion chromatography. The intrinsic viscosities ([η]) of poly1-3 were very low in the range from 4.9 to 7.4 mL·g(-1). The exponent (α) in the Mark-Houkwink-Sakurada equation ([η] = KM(α)) of the polymers was 0.20 to 0.33, which is <0.5. The steady shear flow of poly1-3 in an aqueous solution exhibited a Newtonian behavior with steady shear viscosities independent of the shear rate. These viscosity characteristics were attributed to the spherical structures of hyperbranched polysaccharides in an aqueous solution. Poly1-3 contained a high portion of terminal units of 31-43 mol % nonreducing D-hexopyranosyl and D-hexofuranosyl units, in which the D-hexofuranosyl units were 20-44 mol %. Moreover, poly1 and poly2 showed a strong interaction to Concanavalin A due to the cluster effect or multivalent effect of numerous nonreducing saccharide units on their surfaces with binding constants in the range from 1.7 × 10(4) to 2.7 × 10(5) M(-1).

Creation of Highly Stable Selenium Nanoparticles Capped with Hyperbranched Polysaccharide in Water

Water-dispersible selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were created by using natural hyperbranched polysaccharide (HBP) as the stabilizer and capping agent under extremely safe conditions. The structure, morphology, size, and stability of the nanocomposites were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and static and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. The results revealed that the spherical selenium nanoparticles (mean particle size of about 24 nm) were ligated with HBP to form nanocomposites (Se-HBP) in aqueous solution and were stable for over one month. In our findings, supported by the results of FTIR, TEM, AFM, and DLS, SeNPs were capped with the HBP macromolecules, as a result of strong physical adsorption of OH groups on Se surfaces, leading to a highly stable structure of Se nanoparticles in water. This work provided reaction sites for the complexation between HBP and Se to fabricate well-dispersed Se nanoparticles in aqueous system with potential bioapplications.