Although the huge commercial diffusion of products based on Helix aspersa muller mucus, a complete description of its chemical composition and the study of its specific biochemical characteristics and biological effects are sustained only by few scientific data 1, 5, 6. More recently, the use of Helix aspersa muller mucus has spread worldwide as constituent of cosmetic products and it has been proposed for the formulation of para-pharmaceutic products for the management of wound 3 and for the treatment of chronic bronchitis 4. Since ancient times, the biological properties of Helix aspersa muller mucus have been exploited to treat human disorders in particular of the skin, by simply applying the rough mucus. The active substances present in this mucus make it a unique natural product not replicable in the laboratory with synthetic chemical compounds. To sustain all these biological activities, the snail mucus of Helix aspersa muller specie has a complex and still not well characterized composition 1. The mucus has different functions for the life of the animal, having adhesive, emollient, moisturizing, lubricating, protective and even reparative properties 2.
The snail secretion, or snail mucus, is a mucous substance that covers the entire external surface of the animal and is secreted by particular salivary epidermal glands located at the level of the snail’s foot (pedal glands) 1. In conclusion, our findings suggest that snail mucus biological effects are attributable to cell proliferation and migration, and pave the way for further investigating snail mucus potential as therapeutic agent. These effects were associated to morphological changes, cytoskeleton re-organization and release of cytokines. By using different in vitro assays on fibroblast cultures, we found that HelixComplex lacked of cytotoxicity, protected cells from apoptosis (p < 0.05) and, importantly, was able to significantly induce cell proliferation and migration through direct and indirect mechanisms. Differently from what expected, HelixComplex was characterized by the presence of small amounts of glycolic acid and allantoin. Crude purified extracts from Helix aspersa muller mucus (HelixComplex) were prepared and, after chemical characterization, tested on in vitro experimental models. Although snail mucus is an ingredient of several cosmetic and para-pharmaceutic products, a comprehensive characterization of chemical composition and biological effects is still missing.
#Snail mucin for skin skin#
Snail mucus is a mixture of active substances commonly thought to have healthy properties for the treatment of skin disorders.
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