Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), as a special form of selenium (Se) supplement, have attracted worldwide attention due to their favorable properties and unique bioactivities. Herein, an eco-friendly and economic way to prepare stable SeNPs is introduced. SeNPs were synthesized in aqueous chitosan (CTS) and then embedded into CTS microspheres by spray-drying, forming selenium nanoparticles-loaded chitosan microspheres (SeNPs-M). The physicochemical properties including morphology, elemental state, size distribution and surface potential were investigated. Institute of Cancer Research mice were used as model animal to evaluate the bioactivities of SeNPs-M. Trigonal-phase SeNPs of ~35 nm were synthesized, and SeNPs-M physically embedding those SeNPs were successfully prepared. Amazingly, acute toxicity test indicated that SeNPs-M were much safer than selenite in terms of Se dose, with a LD₅₀ of around 18-fold of that of selenite. In addition, SeNPs-M possessed powerful antioxidant activities, as evidenced by a dramatic increase of both Se retention and the levels of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. The design of SeNPs-M can offer a new way for further development of SeNPs with a higher efficacy and better biosafety. Thus, SeNPs-M may be a potential candidate for further evaluation as an Se supplement with antioxidant properties and be used against Se deficiency in animals and human beings.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have attracted attention due to their favorable properties, unique bioactivities, and potential for use in nutritional supplements and nanomedicine applications. However, the application of SeNPs in the clinic has been greatly hindered by their poor stability, and their potential to protect against alcohol-induced oxidative stress has not been fully investigated. Herein, SeNPs were synthesized in the presence of chitosan (CS) or chitooligosaccharide (COS), and a mixture of SeNPs, CS, and COS was spray-dried to prepare selenium-nanoparticles-loaded chitosan/chitooligosaccharide microparticles (SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms). Their physicochemical properties, including morphology, elemental state, size distribution, surface potential, and characteristic structure, were investigated. The release of SeNPs from the vehicle and the free radical scavenging ability of SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms were also studied. Furthermore, the safety of SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms and their antioxidant activity against alcohol were evaluated in mice. The results indicate that SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms, with a novel structure characterized by their smooth or wrinkled surface, hollow core, and COS body filled with SeNPs-CS nanobeads, were able to release SeNPs and scavenge DPPH and superoxide anion radicals. SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms were found to be much safer than selenite, and they might protect mice from ethanol-induced oxidative stress by reducing lipid and protein oxidation and by boosting glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). In conclusion, SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms offer a new way to develop stable SeNPs with higher efficacy and better biosafety, and the antioxidant potential of SeNPs-CS/COS-Ms against ethanol deserves further development.

Selenium (Se) is an indispensable trace element required for animals and humans, and extra Se-supplement is necessary, especially for those having Se deficiency. Recently, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), as a special form of Se supplement, have attracted worldwide attention due to their distinguished properties and excellent bioactivities. In this present study, an eco-friendly and economic way to prepare stable SeNPs was introduced. SeNPs were synthesized in the presence of chitosan (CTS) and then embedded into chitosan/citrate gel, generating selenium nanoparticles-loaded chitosan/citrate complex (SeNPs-C/C). Additionally, the clinical potential of SeNPs-C/C was evaluated by using d-galactose (d-gal)-induced aging mice model. SeNPs in high uniform with an average diameter of around 50 nm were synthesized in the presence of chitosan, and reversible ionic gelation between chitosan and citrate was utilized to load SeNPs. Subsphaeroidal SeNPs-C/C microspheres of 1–30 μm were obtained by spay-drying. Single SeNPs were physically separated and embedded inside SeNPs-C/C microparticles, with excellent stability and acceptable release. Acute fetal test showed SeNPs-C/C was safer than selenite, with a median lethal dose (LD50) of approximately 4-fold to 11-fold of that of selenite. Oral administration of SeNPs-C/C remarkably retarded the oxidative stress of d-gal in Kunming mice by enhancing the activity of antioxidase, as evidenced by its significant protection of the growth, liver, Se retention and antioxidant bio-markers of mice against d-gal. The design of SeNPs-C/C opens a new path for oral delivery of SeNPs with excellent stability, energy-conservation and environment-friendliness. SeNPs-C/C, as a novel supplement of Se, could be further developed to defend the aging process induced by d-gal.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have attracted wide attention for their use in nutritional supplements and nanomedicine applications. However, their potential to protect against autoimmune hepatitis has not been fully investigated, and the role of their antioxidant capacity in hepatoprotection is uncertain. In this study, chitosan-stabilized SeNPs (CS-SeNPs) were prepared by means of rapid ultra-filtration, and then their antioxidant ability and free-radical scavenging capacity were evaluated. The hepatoprotective potential of a spray-dried CS-SeNPs powder against autoimmune liver disease was also studied in the concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury mouse model. CS-SeNPs with size of around 60 nm exhibited acceptable oxygen radical absorbance capacity and were able to scavenge DPPH, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radicals. The CS-SeNPs powder alleviated Con A-caused hepatocyte necrosis and reduced the elevated levels of serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and lactic dehydrogenase in Con A-treated mice. These results suggest that the CS-SeNPs powder protected the mice from Con-A-induced oxidative stress in the liver by retarding lipid oxidation and by boosting the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, partly because of its ability to improve Se retention. In conclusion, SeNPs present potent hepatoprotective potential against Con A-induced liver damage by enhancing the redox state in the liver; therefore, they deserve further development.

Collagen is widely used in drugs, biomaterials, foods, and cosmetics. By-products of the fishing industry are rich sources of collagen, which can be used as an alternative to collagen traditionally harvested from land mammals. However, commercial applications of fish-based collagen are limited by the low efficiency, low productivity, and low sustainability of the extraction process. This study applied a new technique (electrodialysis) for the extraction of Takifugu flavidus skin collagen. We found electrodialysis to have better economic and environmental outcomes than traditional dialysis as it significantly reduced the purification time and wastewater (~95%) while maintaining high extraction yield (67.3 ± 1.3 g/100 g dry weight, p < 0.05). SDS-PAGE, amino acid composition analysis, and spectrophotometric characterization indicated that electrodialysis treatment retained the physicochemical properties of T. flavidus collagen. Heavy metals and tetrodotoxin analyses indicated the safety of T. flavidus collagen. Notably, the collagen had similar thermal stability to calf skin collagen, with the maximum transition temperature and denaturation temperature of 41.8 ± 0.35 and 28.4 ± 2.5 °C, respectively. All evidence suggests that electrodialysis is a promising technique for extracting collagen in the fishing industry and that T. flavidus skin collagen could serve as an alternative source of collagen to meet the increasing demand from consumers.

Hypertension can cause coronary heart disease. Synthetic angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are effective antihypertensive drugs but often cause side effects. The aim of this study was to prepare potential ACE inhibitors from scales. Gelatin was extracted from lizardfish scales. Then, scale gelatin was enzymolyzed to prepare ACE inhibitory peptides using response surface methodology. Proteolytic conditions after optimization were as follows: pH 7.0, enzyme substrate ratio 3.2%, temperature 47 °C, and proteolysis lasting 2 h and 50 min. The experimental ACE inhibitory activity under optimal conditions was 86.0 ± 0.4%. Among the 118 peptides identified from gelatin hydrolysates, 87.3% were hydrophilic and 93.22% had a molecular weight <2000 Da. Gelatin peptides had high stability upon exposure to high temperature and pH as well as gastrointestinal tract enzymes. Gelatin peptides showed an antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats at a dosage of 2 g/kg in the long-term experiments. A new ACE inhibitory peptide was isolated from gelatin hydrolysates, and was identified as AGPPGSDGQPGAK with an IC₅₀ value of 420 ± 20 μM. In this way, ACE inhibitory peptides derived from scale gelatin have the potential to be used as healthy ACE-inhibiting drug raw materials.