Selenized Polysaccharides From Acanthopanax leucorrhizus : Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity

ABSTRACT Selenylation modification has been extensively developed as a method to enhance the biological effects of natural polysaccharides. In this study, a novel water‐soluble polysaccharide, designated as ALPS‐41, was isolated from the stem bark of A. leucorrhizus and subsequently selenized to form Se‐ALPS‐41, using the HNO 3 –Na 2 SeO 3 method. The physicochemical properties and structural features of both ALPS‐41 and Se‐ALPS‐41 were thoroughly characterized, using UV, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), high‐performance gel‐permeation chromatography (HPGPC), HPLC, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and NMR analyses. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated via Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assays against human MCF‐7, HeLa, HepG2, and HEK293 cell lines. Chemical composition analysis revealed that the homogeneous ALPS‐41 had an average molecular weight of 437 kDa and was composed of glucose, galactose, and mannose in a molar ratio of 2.21:1.58:1.00. The selenium content and molecular weight of Se‐ALPS‐41 were determined to be 87.56 mg/g and 298 kDa, respectively. Cytotoxicity tests demonstrated that Se‐ALPS‐41 decreased the viability of MCF‐7 and HepG2 cells in a concentration‐dependent manner, while exhibiting no cytotoxic effect on HeLa and normal HEK293 cells. These findings suggest that selenium‐modified polysaccharides derived from A. leucorrhizus may serve as a potential selenium source with antitumor properties.