The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Eremina desertorum snail mucin on experimentally induced intestinal inflammation and testicular damage

Abstract

Eremina desertorum snail mucin antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects were investigated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-intestinal inflammation and testes damage. Male albino mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 ml/kg b.wt of 40% CCl4, twice a week for 8 weeks. The treated groups were treated orally with mucin (after 8 weeks of CCl4 intoxication, twice a week for four weeks). CCl4causedsignificant increases in C-reactive protein, lipid peroxidation, interlukine-2 levels and caspase-3, while decreasing the total proteins levels, activities of catalase (CAT),superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione reductase (GSH) contents, testosterone and 17β estradiol levels compared with the control mice. The improvements of these parameters occurred after treatment with E. desertorum mucin, where all the biochemical measurements tended to restore to the normal values. Histopathologically, CCl4 caused ulceration in the columnar mucin secreting cells that lined the ileal mucosa, partial loss of goblet cells, abnormal villous/crypt ratio, and submucosal infiltrate of the inflammatory cells. Also, sections of testis showed alterations in the developmental spermatogenic arrangement of the same seminiferous tubules, with no spermatozoa in the center. Improvements in these architectures occurred after administration of mucin, where sections showed almost normal histological structure. In conclusion, E. desertorum mucin could be used as a supplementary material as it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; besides it has low cost.

Snail extract for skin: A review of uses, projections, and limitations

“…41 In mice with experimentally induced testicular damage and intestinal inflammation via carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), Eremina desertorum snail mucin provided notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as evidenced by histopathology. 42 Airway epithelium has also seen benefit from snail mucin in which helcidine extracted from Helix pomatia was seen to relax the trachea via release of prostaglandin E2, suggesting a potential broncho-relaxant and antitussive agent. 43 A new lubricating ophthalmic solution eye product, GlicoPro, includes snail mucus as one of its ingredients for management of dry eye disease.…”

“…Similar to burns, gastric ulcers were also healed at a faster rate when clarithromycin was combined with mucin from the giant African snail 41 . In mice with experimentally induced testicular damage and intestinal inflammation via carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), Eremina desertorum snail mucin provided notable antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects as evidenced by histopathology 42 . Airway epithelium has also seen benefit from snail mucin in which helcidine extracted from Helix pomatia was seen to relax the trachea via release of prostaglandin E2, suggesting a potential broncho‐relaxant and antitussive agent 43 .…”