Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) with diameters from 64.8 to 110.1 nm were successfully synthesized by γ-irradiation of solutions containing Se⁴⁺ and water-soluble yeast β-glucan. The size and size distribution of SeNPs were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Analytical X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern results confirmed the crystal structure of the Se nanoparticles and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that β-glucan could interact with SeNPs through steric (Se…O) linkages leading to a homogeneous and translucent solution state for 60 days without any precipitates. In vivo tests in cytoxan-induced immunosuppressed mice revealed that the daily supplementation of SeNPs/β-glucan at concentrations of 6 mg per kg body weight of tested mice significantly stimulated the generation of cellular immune factors (white blood cells, neutrophil, lymphocyte, B cells, CD4+ cells, CD34+ cells and natural killer cells) and humoral immune indexes (IgM, IgG, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-2) in peripheral blood, bone marrow and spleen of the immunosuppressed mice. The obtained results indicated that radiation-synthesized SeNPs/β-glucan may be a candidate for further evaluation as an agent for the prevention of immunosuppression in chemotherapy.

Elatostema tenuicaudatum W. T. Wang, a medicinal plant traditionally utilized in herbal remedies, was explored for its cytotoxic properties.

Ten previously undescribed iridoid glycosides (1-10), including monoiridoids, hybrid iridoid-alkaloids, bis-iridoids, noriridoid-iridoid dimers, and tetramers, were isolated from the roots of Gomphandra mollis Merr. Structural elucidation revealed unique sugar chains not previously observed for iridoids and complex tetrameric configurations that are rare in nature. Compounds 9, 10, and 15 demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 6.13 to 13.0 μM, and compounds 6, 7, and 11-13 showed notable hepatoprotective activity in HepG2 cells. Additionally, structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis on anti-inflammatory effects was also conducted. This study enriches the structural database of iridoids, particularly complex derivatives, and highlights their therapeutic potential in addressing inflammation-related and liver diseases.

Gold nanoparticles capped by carboxymethyl chitosan (AuNPs/CM-chitosan) with particle sizes of 5.27.3nm were successfully synthesized by the γ-irradiation of Au³⁺ solutions. Their characteristics were analysed by transmission electron microscope images, powder X-ray diffraction patterns, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectra. The antioxidant activity of AuNP/CM-chitosan was time dependent and much higher than that of ascorbic acid at the same concentration. On the other hand, the results of tail vein injection of AuNP/CM-chitosan in mice indicated that this product was not toxic to mice and that AuNPs were mainly distributed in liver tissue, at approximately 77.5, 6h after injection. The hepatoprotective activity of AuNP/CM-chitosan was also tested in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxic mice by oral administration at daily doses of 0.52mg/head. The results indicated that compared to the control, supplementation with 2mg of AuNPs/head strongly reduced the aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase indexes in the blood of the tested mice by approximately 66.5 and 69.3, respectively. Furthermore, the MTT (3[4,5 dimetylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazol bromide) assay on a liver cancer cell line (HepG2) clearly confirmed strong anticancer activity on HepG2 cells treated with 0.050.5mM AuNPs and the tested cells did not survive after treatment with 0.5mM AuNPs, while the growth of the normal cell line (L929) has no significant effect at the same treated concentration of AuNPs. The AuNP/CM-chitosan in the present study was synthesized by the γ-irradiation method without using any toxic-reducing chemical and stabilized in a natural biocompatible polymer. The strong antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anticancer effects of this product may be supported to be used in the biomedical field.