Synthesis Of Selenium Nanoparticles (Senps) Using Silybum Marianum And Aloe Vera For Biological Studies

Abstract

The development of environmentally benign nanomaterials has stimulated the interest in plant mediated synthesis routes in biomedical applications. In the present study, a green and chemically sustainable approach was determined for the phyto-assisted fabrication of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using binary extracts of Silybum marianum and Aloe vera. The rationale of combining these botanical sources was to utilize the complementary phytochemical profiles (high in flavonoids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids and polysaccharides) for enhancing both the reduction efficiency and the colloidal stabilization. Sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) was used as the selenium precursor and its bioconversion to elemental selenium (Se0) was done under mild aqueous conditions without the need for external toxic reducing agents. As preliminary evidence of the formation of SeNPs, a characteristic visual color transition was observed and later confirmed spectroscopically. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy implied the active involvement of hydroxyl, carbonyl, and amide functional groups in nanoparticles reduction and surface capping, which proved the dual role of plant-derived biomolecules. Morphological and size-distribution analyses showed the formation of nanoscale and mostly spherical nanoparticles with satisfactory dispersion stability, which showed the efficiency of the binary extract system on inhibiting agglomeration. The biologically synthesized SeNPs showed a greater antimicrobial potential than crude extracts suggesting the synergistic interaction between oxidative stress mechanisms induced by selenium with membrane perturbation mediated by phytoconstituents. This study proposed an eco-friendly and scalable platform for binary phytochemical systems synthesis of biofunctionalized selenium nanostructures and highlighted the potential in the engineering field of stable nanotherapeutics. The findings add to the ongoing applications in green nanobiotechnology providing a sustainable alternative to more conventional methods of chemical synthesis.