Preparation, Functions and Food Application of Polysaccharide-Selenium Nanoparticles: A Review

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), elemental selenium particles at the nano-size scale, have great potential for applications in the fields of agriculture, food and medicine due to its unique properties and excellent biological activities. Polysaccharides, with excellent biocompatibility, good stability and various bioactivities, can be used for the preparation and functional modification of stable SeNPs with improved physicochemical and functional properties. This article focuses on the preparation, bioactivities and application of polysaccharide-SeNPs. It summarizes the methods and techniques used to synthesize polysaccharide-SeNPs through chemical reduction, analyzes the regulatory effect of polysaccharides on the physicochemical properties of SeNPs, and reviews the antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antitumor capacity of polysaccharide-SeNPs. Moreover, this paper describes the application of polysaccharide-SeNPs in food and other fields and discusses the challenges for the application of polysaccharide-SeNPs in food nutrition fortification. We believe that this review will provide a theoretical basis and a novel idea for the research and development of polysaccharide-SeNPs.