Ultrasound-assisted preparation of sweet corn cob polysaccharide selenium nanoparticles alleviates symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term chronic condition that predisposes individuals to oxidative stress and disruption of the gut microbiota. In this study, sweet corn cob polysaccharide selenium nanoparticles (U-SCPSeNPs) with relatively small particle sizes were prepared using an ultrasound-assisted method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) were used to characterize the U-SCPSeNPs and determine the monosaccharide composition of the U-SCPSeNPs. The U-SCPSeNPs were used to improve the CFS of the mice. The results showed that the ultrasound-assisted method reduced the particle size of the SeNPs, and U-SCPSeNPs with a particle size of 76.74 nm and a selenium content of 186.83 ± 7.80 mg g^-1 were obtained at an ultrasonication time of 40 min. Sweet corn cob (SCP) bound to the SeNPs through hydrogen bonding. In terms of energy production, the production capacity of Na⁺-K⁺-ATP, Mg²⁺-ATP, and Ca²⁺-ATP was enhanced by U-SCPSeSCP in CFS mice; In terms of oxidative stress, the levels of SOD and MDA were decreased and CAT and GSH-Px were increased by SCPSeSCP. U-SCPSeSCP improved the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiota in CFS mice, and decreasing the relative abundance of <i>Firmicutes</i> increased the relative abundance of <i>Bacteroidota</i> at the phylum level. This study provides a reference for synthesizing polysaccharide SeNPs and assessing the ability of U-SCPSeNPs to alleviate CFS.