Turbo cornutus, a marine gastropod mollusk commonly called sea snail, is found along the southern coast of Korea and holds considerable importance as a marine food resource, particularly on Jeju Island, Korea. Data are scarce on the antioxidant activity of hot water extracts from T. cornutus visceral tissue. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant activities of T. cornutus visceral tissue hot water extract (TVE) and the underlying mechanisms against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in Vero cells. The amino acid composition and antioxidant effects of TVE were evaluated. Furthermore, the impact of TVE on the expression of proteins within the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is investigated. TVE showed a concentration-dependent enhancement in its scavenging activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (IC50 = 1.07 ± 0.06 mg/mL) and hydrogen peroxide (IC50 = 0.33 ± 0.03 mg/mL). TVE reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and maintained cell viability under H2O2-induced oxidative stress by suppressing apoptosis in Vero cells. Additionally, TVE demonstrated regulatory effects on the MAPK and protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways activated by H2O2. In conclusion, the findings from our study propose that TVE holds potential as a bioactive component in the formulation of functional foods.
Keywords: Turbo cornutus; Vero cells; antioxidant effect; by-products; oxidative stress; taurine; visceral tissue.