Natural Synergy: Antioxidant and Anticancer Activity of Selenium and Royal Jelly-Boosted Silkworm Extracts

Background and aim: This study investigates the antioxidant and anticancer potential of methanol extracts from Bombyx mori (silkworms) reared on mulberry leaves treated with selenium (Se), royal jelly (RJ), and their combination (RJ+Se). The aim was to determine whether these supplemented diets could enhance bioactive properties of silkworm extracts for potential nutraceutical applications. Methods: Four experimental groups were established: Group I (Control with distilled water), Group II (RJ), Group III (Se), and Group IV (RJ+Se). Antioxidant activity was assessed using the ABTS radical scavenging assay, while anticancer activity was evaluated using MTT cytotoxicity assays on HePG2 (liver cancer) and Caco-2 (colon cancer) cell lines. Results: Group IV (RJ+Se) exhibited the most potent antioxidant activity with the lowest IC₅₀ value among all groups, followed by Group II (RJ) and Group III (Se), while Group I (Control) showed the least activity. In cytotoxicity assays at 250 µg/mL concentration, Group IV demonstrated the highest inhibition of HePG2 cells (59.70%) and Caco-2 cells (57.46%). Group II and Group III showed moderate inhibition, while Group I displayed the lowest anticancer activity. Conclusions: The combination of selenium and royal jelly in silkworm diets significantly enhanced both antioxidant and anticancer activities of the resulting extracts. These findings suggest that RJ and Se co-supplementation may induce the formation of novel bioactive compounds in Bombyx mori, indicating their potential as functional ingredients in nutraceuticals for cancer risk reduction.