Green Chemistry Approaches towards the Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) as a Metal Nano-Therapy: Possible Mechanisms of Anticancer Action

Sara  Chetehouna; Samir   Derouiche; Yassine  Reggami

doi:10.18502/fbt.v11i3.15894

Sara Chetehouna Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mohamed Boudiaf-M’sila University, M’sila 28000, Algeria
Samir Derouiche Laboratory of Biodiversity and Application of Biotechnology in the Agricultural Field, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life, University of El Oued, El-Oued 39000, Algeria
Yassine Reggami Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mohamed Boudiaf-M’sila University, M’sila 28000, Algeria

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/fbt.v11i3.15894

Keywords: Selenium Nanoparticles; Green Synthesis; Characterization Methods; Anticancer Action.

Abstract

Cancer is one of the most devastating disorders of the 21st century, creating a major concern among clinicians and researchers. Many different treatment strategies are being tried to fight the war against cancer have been tested. Various inorganic nanoparticles have been investigated to induce cytotoxicity in cancer cells and one of the successfully tried nanoparticles is Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs). Green synthesized SeNPs are a promising source of new antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, given the multiplicity of its mechanism. SeNPs displayed antiproliferative potential against colon, liver, cervical, breast, melanoma, and prostate cancer cells by several mechanisms, including triggering apoptotic signal transduction pathways or slow down the angiogenic signalling in cancer cells. Metal nano-therapies such as SeNPs are granted research consideration for cancer treatment. The biocompatibility achieved through green synthesis suggests its possible use not only in specific cancer conditions but also in other types of cancer without any risk of toxicity of these molecules.