Green nanotechnology and nanoselenium for biomedical applications

Selenium is an essential trace element with a key behavior in human biology and a valuable additive in different industrial applications. When introduced into the nanoscale, selenium nanomaterials¿from particles to wires, rods, and other shapes¿have shown remarkable properties. They have been explored as potential therapeutics in various oxidative stress, and inflammation-mediated disorders like arthritis, cancer, and diabetes, among many others. Moreover, selenium nanoparticles constitute an attractive carrier platform to transport a diverse array of drugs to the site of action, using a synergetic effect that takes advantage of the inherent antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties of these nanomaterials. Still, many of these features are linked to how the nanomaterials are synthesized, as it happens with many other elemental particles. In this regard, using living organisms, biomolecules, and other natural resources to produce selenium-based nanomaterials offers significant advantages compared to traditionally synthesized nanostructures, such as improved performance, lack of toxic by-products in the final product, and the employment of environmentally friendly and cost-effective techniques. This chapter covers some of the most exciting and updated research on the green synthesis of selenium nanomaterials and their use in medicine. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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