Anti-cancerous effect and biological evaluation of green synthesized Selenium nanoparticles on MCF-7 breast cancer and HUVEC cell lines

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is a safe and cost-effective process for creating nanoparticles using extracts from different parts of plants, such as flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. In this research, Melissa Officinalis L. (MO) aqueous extract was used for the synthesis of Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) for the first time. These extracts contain flavonoids, polyphenols, and alkaloids, which act as reducing agents in synthesizing nanoparticles. In this study, the extract serves both as a reducing agent and a capping agent during the fast and simple green synthesis of Selenium nanoparticles. The hydrodynamic size of the nanoparticles was investigated by using DLS. Further characterization of the shape and size of the nanoparticles was conducted through SEM and TEM studies. Moreover, the elemental composition of the NPs was identified through Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) elemental analysis. Microscopy analysis results showed that the Se NPs had a spherical shape. Furthermore, the particle size was determined to be 65 nm and 34 nm via DLS and SEM studies, respectively. Additionally, the biological evaluation of Se NPs demonstrated a non-toxic effect on the Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) normal cell line and anticancer activity on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.