Chemical composition, mineral profile, anti-bacterial, and wound healing properties of snail slime of Helix aspersa Müller

Biomedicine (Taipei). 2023 Dec 1;13(4):10-19. doi: 10.37796/2211-8039.1424. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Mucus is a substance made by snails that serves a variety of purposes and is increasingly employed in the medical and cosmetic industries. It includes bioactive compounds with a range of biological characteristics that could be useful in the treatment of particular issues. This study assessed the wound-healing efficiency, antibacterial activity, chemical and mineral composition of Helix aspersa Müller slime. Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for mineral analysis, while Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used for chemical characterization. The findings showed that the H. aspersa Müller slime had inhibitory activity on the test samples. Additionally, it revealed significant healing activity. These findings point to the chemical composition and various biological activities of the H. aspersa Müller slime, which may be related to the animal's particular functions and be useful for medical applications. Our findings suggest that the H. aspersa Müller slime has biological effects related to antimicrobial activities and wound healing, and they pave the way for a more thorough investigation of its potential therapeutic effects.

Keywords: Activity antibacterial; Chemical composition; H. aspersa Müller; Slime; Wound healing.