Chitosan/Selenium@ Olive Oil Nanocomplex Targeted Therapy for Multiple Cancers

The administration of anticancer chemotherapies has been linked to deleterious effects on healthy tissues. Our study endeavors to offer a solution to this issue through the development of a novel nanocomposite agent comprising of environmentally biodegradable chitosan (CS), selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), and Jouf olive oil (Jouf Oo) dubbed as the CS/SeNPs@Jouf Oo nanocomplex. FTIR, GC-MS and EDS confirmed elemental compositions of the nanocomplex, SEM and TEM confirmed its nanostructure (95 nm) and TGA confirmed its high thermal stability. Evaluation of the anticancer activity of the nanocomplex was performed on human colorectal adenocarcinoma, human hepatocellular carcinoma, and human breast cancer cell lines. The results obtained from our investigation revealed that the nanocomposite was efficacious with a demonstrated IC50 values of 117.99 µg/mL, 99.1 µg/mL, and 123.05 µg/mL for Caco2, MCF7, and HepG2 cells, respectively. Compared to the traditional chemotherapeutic agent Doxorubicin, the CS/SeNPs@Jouf Oo nanocomplex exhibited a safer profile on normal cells. Additionally, the nanocomposite demonstrated a four-fold increased targeting of cancer cells compared to normal cells when compared to traditional chemotherapy. Mechanistic analyses of the nanocomplex showed alterations in apoptotic oncogenes; characterized by the downregulation of BCL2 and P21, and upregulation of p53 and TNF. Our findings suggest that the CS/SeNPs@Jouf Oo nanocomplex offers a safer and more targeted alternative to traditional chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer.