Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

The Mucus of the Mollusk Phyllocaulis boraceiensis: Biochemical Profile and the Search for Microbiological Activity

This paper was not found in any repository; the policy of its publisher is unknown or unclear.
This paper was not found in any repository; the policy of its publisher is unknown or unclear.

Full text: Unavailable

Question mark in circle
Preprint: policy unknown
Question mark in circle
Postprint: policy unknown
Question mark in circle
Published version: policy unknown

Abstract

Many invertebrates, including the mollusks, have been researched as potential source of compounds with antibiotic activity. Biochemical profile of the mucus from the slug Phyllocaulis boraceiensis was studied to determine if this species presents any fraction containing this sort of compound. Assays to quantify lipids, proteins, or peptides, free glucose or associated with other substances, were performed through establishment of the electrophoretic profile, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry. The data were: lipids = 6.9 × 10-5 mg/mL; protein = 1.15 × 10-4 mg/mL; few amino acids were detected, probably because the molecules degraded; free glucose = not detected; glucose in association with other substance = 600 μg/mL. In the HPLC assay, some bands of protein were detected correlating with the electrophoretic profile. The mass spectrometry showed a major proteic component of 17.5 kDa molecular weight. Any direct bactericidal or bacteriostatic effect was detected facing distinct bacteria of medical interest such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It could be hypothesized that eventual active compounds are masked in the mucosal matrix of the secretion. Probably the P. boraceiensis mucus acts as a physical barrier, hindering the entrance of microorganisms in the body, does not act on the microorganisms assayed-or even does not present microbicidal property.