Impact of heat treatment on size, structure, and bioactivity of elemental selenium nanoparticles

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine Vol. 7; no. default; pp. 815 - 825
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jinsong, Taylor, Ethan W, Wan, Xiaochun, Peng, Dungeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2012; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Press; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Animals; bioactivity; Biological activity; Biological Availability; Drug Stability; Glutathione Transferase - metabolism; heat treatment; Hot Temperature; Liver - chemistry; Liver - enzymology; Liver - metabolism; Male; Mice; nanoparticle; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Original Research; Particle Size; Physiological aspects; Properties; Selenium; Selenium - blood; Selenium - chemistry; Selenium - deficiency; Selenium - pharmacokinetics; United States; nanoparticle; heat treatment; bioactivity; selenium
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114; 1178-2013
• DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S28538

Elemental selenium nanoparticles have emerged as a novel selenium source with the advantage of reduced risk of selenium toxicity. The present work investigated whether heat treatment affects the size, structure, and bioactivity of selenium nanoparticles. After a one-hour incubation of solution containing 80 nm selenium particles in a 90°C water bath, the nanoparticles aggregated into larger 110 nm particles and nanorods (290 nm × 70 nm), leading to significantly reduced bioavailability and phase II enzyme induction in selenium-deficient mice. When a solution containing 40 nm selenium nanoparticles was treated under the same conditions, the nanoparticles aggregated into larger 72 nm particles but did not transform into nanorods, demonstrating that the thermostability of selenium nanoparticles is size-dependent, smaller selenium nanoparticles being more resistant than larger selenium nanoparticles to transformation into nanorods during heat treatment. The present results suggest that temperature and duration of the heat process, as well as the original nanoparticle size, should be carefully selected when a solution containing selenium nanoparticles is added to functional foods.