Selenium Nanoparticles Decorated by Blueberry Pomace Polysaccharides Improve the Protection Effects Against Erythrocyte Hemolysis

TL;DR

This study shows that blueberry pomace polysaccharides improve the stability and antioxidant effects of selenium nanoparticles, protecting red blood cells from damage.

Contribution

The novel use of blueberry pomace polysaccharides as a stabilizer for selenium nanoparticles is introduced.

Findings

BP-SeNPs showed better stability under various environmental conditions compared to SeNPs.

BP-SeNPs enhanced protection against erythrocyte hemolysis by boosting antioxidant enzyme activities.

The nanoparticles preserved membrane integrity by maintaining ATPase function and sialic acid levels.

Abstract

In this study, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized using polysaccharides extracted from blueberry pomace (BP) as a stabilizing agent. BP was characterized as an acidic polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 5.4 × 105 Da. The resulting BP-SeNPs were monodisperse spheres with an average size of 94.33 nm, as confirmed by TEM, DLS, FT-IR, XRD, and EDX analyses. Compared to SeNPs, BP-SeNPs demonstrated superior stability under varying conditions of storage time, temperature, pH, and ionic strength. Furthermore, in vitro evaluation using AAPH-induced rabbit erythrocytes revealed that BP-SeNPs offered enhanced protection against hemolysis. This protective effect was attributed to their ability to significantly bolster antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px) and preserve membrane integrity by maintaining ATPase function and sialic acid content. These results establish BP as an effective stabilizer for SeNPs and suggest the promising potential of BP-SeNPs as antioxidant agents in functional food or nutraceutical applications.

Figures