Application of mandarin pectin in green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles

Komina mandarine je otpad prehrambene industrije koji se u poslijednje vrijeme sve više prepoznaje kao izvor različitih biološki vrijednih molekula. Jedan od najzastupljenijih spojeva s biološkom vrijednošću u komini mandarine jest i pektin, koji općenito ima široku primjenu u prehrambenoj i farmaceutskoj industriji. Cilj ovog rada je bio istražiti mogućnosti primjene sirove i pročišćene pektinske frakcije komine mandarine u zelenoj sintezi nanoselena. Obje frakcije korištene su u 4 različite koncentracije, a dobiveni rezultati uspoređeni su s rezultatima dobivenim primjenom komercijalno dostupnog pektina jabuke te polivinilpirolidona kao često korištenog sintetskog sredstva za oblaganje. Fizikalno-kemijska karakterizacija dobivenih nanočestica uključila je mjerenje zeta-potencijala te raspodjelu veličine čestica primjenom dinamičkog raspršenja svjetlosti. Istražen je i utjecaj vrste/koncentracije sredstva za oblaganje na ukupan prinos zelene sinteze te reduktivnu i antiradikalnu aktivnost dobivenih nanočestica selena. Rezultati su pokazali da se i sirova i pročišćena pektinska frkacija komine mandarine može smatrati pogodnim sredstvom za oblaganje u zelenoj sintezi nanočestica. Ovisno o promatranom parametru, nanočestice selena dobivene inkapsulacijom pektinskom frakcijom komine mandarine usporedive su ili bolje od nanoselena dobivenog inkapsulacijom PVP-om ili komercijalno dostupnim pektinom. Potrebna su daljnja istraživanja kojima bi se dodatno usavršio protokol sinteze nanočestica selena uz pektine komine mandarine kao sredstva za oblaganje kako bi se dobile čestice višeg antioksidacijskog potencijala te promjera oko 100 nm.Mandarin pomace is a waste of the food industry that has recently been recognized as a source of various biologically valuable molecules. One of the most common compounds with biological value in mandarin pomace is pectin, which is generally widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of applying the raw and purified pectin fraction of mandarin pomace in green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. Both fractions were used in 4 different concentrations and the obtained results were compared with the results obtained using commercially available apple pectin and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a frequently used synthetic coating agent. Physico-chemical characterization of the obtained nanoparticles included measurement of zeta potential and particle size distribution using dynamic light scattering. The influence of the type/concentration of the coating agent on the total yield of green synthesis and the reductive and antiradical activity of the obtained selenium nanoparticles was also investigated. The results showed that both raw and purified pectin fraction of mandarin pomace can be considered as a suitable coating agent in green nanoparticle synthesis. Depending on the observed parameter, selenium nanoparticles obtained by encapsulation with the pectin fraction of mandarin pomace are comparable or better than selenium nanoparticles obtained by encapsulation with PVP or commercially available pectin. Further research is needed to further refine the protocol for the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles with mandarin pomace pectins as a coating agent to obtain particles with a higher antioxidant potential and a diameter of about 100 nm