Phytofabrication of Selenium Nanoparticles for Investigating their Efficacy as Nanotherapeutics Against Lung Carcinoma Cells and Bacterial Pathogens

The synthesis of nanoparticles has garnered significant interest due to their unique properties and broad potential applications. This study explores the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) using Justicia adhatoda leaf extract and evaluates their anti-lung cancer activity on A549 cells. The leaf extract was characterized through preliminary phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis, which identified bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic effects. The synthesized Se NPs were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, revealing a maximum absorbance at 204 nm, and FT-IR spectroscopy, which confirmed the presence of elemental selenium at 617 cm⁻¹. XRD analysis indicated an FCC structure and spherical morphology with a crystallite size of 43 nm. SEM and TEM imaging confirmed a spherical shape, with an average nanoparticle size of 5 nm. Thermal analysis showed a degradation temperature of 497°C, suggesting thermal stability. Biological assessments demonstrated that Se NPs exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus compared to Escherichia coli, high cell viability (88%) in PBMC cells at 10 µg/ml, significant cytotoxicity (81%) against A549 lung cancer cells at 500 µg/ml, and potent anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of IL-6 cytokine production. These findings underscore the promising physicochemical and biological properties of Se NPs, indicating their potential as therapeutic agents for anti-lung cancer and anti-inflammatory treatments. Further investigation is necessary to fully evaluate their therapeutic potential.