Enhanced antitumor activity of inulin-capped Se nanoparticles synthesized using Jerusalem artichoke tubers

An inulin polysaccharide with a molecular weight of similar to 2600 Da was derived from Jerusalem artichoke tubers and referred to as JAP. Previous studies have shown that inulin can improve glucose tolerance and the liver lipid profile; however, its antitumor activity remains to be examined in detail. Therefore, to investigate the possible improvement of the antitumor activity of JAP, a novel nanostructured biomaterial was constructed by capping Se nanoparticles with JAP using sodium selenite, via a redox reaction with ascorbic acid, and referred to as JAP-SeNPs. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the average diameter of JAP-SeNPs is similar to 50 nm, and the C:Se mass ratio in JAP-SeNPs was found to be 15.4:1 by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The well-dispersed JAP-SeNPs exhibited a significant in vitro antiproliferative effect on mouse forestomach carcinoma cells at a concentration of 400 mu g/mL when incubated for 48 h, with an inhibition rate of 41.5%. Moreover, 38.9% of later apoptotic cells were observed. These results reveal that a combination of Se and JAP can effectively enhance the antitumor activity of polysaccharides obtained from Jerusalem artichoke tubers.

Automated summary

The research demonstrates that JAP-SeNPs can effectively inhibit the proliferation of mouse forestomach carcinoma cells and induce cell apoptosis.