Marine, freshwater, and terrestrial snails as models in the biomedical applications | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||
| Article 3, Volume 25, Issue 3, May and June 2021, Pages 23-38 PDF (439.15 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2021.172142 | ||
| Author | ||
| Amina M. Ibrahim et al. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| A snail is a member of the molluscan gastropods that has a cosmopolitan distribution, inhabiting marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats. The present review highlights the importance of the snails as they have medical and veterinary applications, besides being considered as excellent indicators of ecosystem health like Biomphalaria sp.,and Lymnaea stagnalis freshwater snails. Also, snails have been proved to be excellent models in neurophysiology, especially on learning and memory formation like Aplysia californica marine snail and Lymnaea stagnalis freshwater snails. Marine snails produce antimicrobial secondary metabolites that exhibit anticancer, antibiotic, antiviral, neurotoxic, or anti-inflammatory properties. These materials can be obtained from the extracts of Babylonia spirata, Buccinulum corneum, Buccinum undatum, Littorina littorea “called littorerin”, Haliotis laevigata or H. rubra, Murex pectin, Tegula gallina, conotoxins released from Conus magus, and hemocyanins of Rapana venosa snails. Freshwater snails have many bioactive compounds that have antimicrobial activity. These materials like, the extracted proteins from Bellamya dissimilis, Bithynia pulchella, Melanoides tuberculata,and Pila sp, mucus extracted from Pomacea canaliculata and Faunus ater; or the hemolymph of Pomacea insularium snail. Terrestrial snails can be used in traditional medicine as they have pharmacologically active compounds, like mucus from Helix sp., Achatina achatina, Achatina fulica, and Eremina desertorum snails, or proteins extracted from Cryptozona bistrialis snails. Conclusively, snails have a lot of biomedical, nutritional and economic importance. | ||
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