Protective Prospect of Green Synthesized Selenium Nanoparticles Using Jatropha tanjorensis against Cadmium-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal widely distributed in the environment and known to cause severe renal dysfunction through oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. The present study investigated the protective effects of green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using Jatropha tanjorensis leaf extract against cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity in male albino rats. The SeNPs were synthesized via a green, eco-friendly reduction method using ethanolic Jatropha tanjorensis extract and characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanoparticles exhibited a mean particle size of 37.67 nm, with absorption maxima at 320 nm, confirming successful synthesis and stability. Forty male rats were divided into eight groups: control, Cd-only, Jatropha tanjorensis extract (JTLE), SeNPs, JTLE-SeNPs, Cd+JTLE, Cd+SeNPs, and Cd+JTLE-SeNPs. Cadmium exposure (0.5 mg/kg BW) for 28 days resulted in significant oxidative stress, marked by elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), alongside reduced activities of antioxidant enzymes—superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Cd exposure also increased Bax gene expression and cadmium accumulation in the serum and kidney tissues. Treatment with JTLE, SeNPs, and particularly JTLE-SeNPs markedly ameliorated these alterations, reducing Cd accumulation, restoring antioxidant balance, and normalizing Bax gene expression to near-control levels. The combined JTLE-SeNPs formulation exhibited the strongest nephroprotective effect. In conclusion, green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles derived from Jatropha tanjorensis demonstrate potent antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties that effectively mitigate cadmium-induced renal damage. The findings highlight the therapeutic potential of Jatropha tanjorensis-mediated SeNPs as a sustainable and biocompatible approach to counteract heavy metal-induced nephrotoxicity.