Cornu aspersum mucin attenuates indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in mice via alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation
Open accessAbstract
In the past three decades, a significant progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcers. The incidence of the disease has decreased, but gastric ulcer is still a medical problem. Currently, the available drugs for gastric ulcer treatment have many side effects; therefore, searching for new and safe therapeutic agents is mandatory. The present study aims to investigate the gastroprotective potential of Cornu aspersum ( C. aspersum ) mucin against gastric ulcers, and the mechanisms related to oxidative stress and inflammation. C. aspersum mucin was collected from 50 snails. The characteristics of C. aspersum mucin (chemical and microbiological) were evaluated. Mice were pretreated with famotidine and C. aspersum mucin (7.5 and 15 ml/kg b.w.) for 5 days, and then gastric ulcers were induced by indomethacin. Macroscopic examination, biochemical estimations, and Quantitative real-time PCR were carried out. Also, histopathological and immunohistopathological examinations were evaluated. We found that the high dose of the mucin significantly decreased the gastric mucosal malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents as well as interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and nuclear factor kappa β (NF-ҡB) expression, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunostaining. It also increased the gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents as well as hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expressions with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions. In conclusion, C. aspersum mucin could be a potential therapeutic candidate to protect against gastric ulceration.
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Snail secretion consists of a diluted network of polymers and low molecular substances.
“Snail secretion consists of a diluted network of polymers and low molecular substances [5,8,22,24,25,29].”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results and discussion section’s chemical characterization (Table 3; page not provided) reports both polymeric components, including collagen and elastin, and low-molecular-weight substances, including glycolic acid and allantoin, in C. aspersum mucin. It does not describe the secretion as a diluted polymer network; elsewhere in Results and discussion, it calls mucin “dense and viscid.” (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDifferent authors provide somewhat or even quite different criteria of acceptability for standardization of snail mucus from H. aspersa.
“Concerning the standardization of snail mucus from H. aspersa, it is worth paying attention to the fact that different authors [27,28,29,33,37] provide somewhat or even quite different criteria of acceptability (Table 1).”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results and discussion section (Table 3; page not available) reports physical, chemical, and microbiological specifications for C. aspersum mucin, so this paper can serve as an example of a study characterizing it for standardization. The table gives measured values, however, not criteria or thresholds for acceptability. The comparison with other authors is the citing paper’s synthesis, not a finding of this source. (LLM, conf=0.78)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn ulcerated control mice, gastric lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde and NO) was significantly increased.
“In the ulcerated control mice (group 5), gastric lipid peroxidation, expressed as malondialdehyde and NO, was significantly increased.”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
In indomethacin-induced ulcerated mice, pretreatment with famotidine, low-dose mucin, or high-dose mucin significantly increased HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions compared to ulcerated controls.
“These groups had significantly lower gastric mucosal malondialdehyde and NO contents, IL-1β and NF-κB expression, and increased gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents, HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions, with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions compared to group 5 [29].”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
In non-ulcerated mice, stomach tissue contents of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, catalase, and NO did not differ significantly between groups receiving famotidine or low/high doses of mucin and the normal control group.
“The stomach tissue contents of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, catalase, and NO showed no significant difference when compared with the normal control group (group 1).”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
In indomethacin-induced ulcerated mice, pretreatment with famotidine, low-dose mucin, or high-dose mucin significantly increased gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents compared to ulcerated controls.
“These groups had significantly lower gastric mucosal malondialdehyde and NO contents, IL-1β and NF-κB expression, and increased gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents, HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions, with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions compared to group 5 [29].”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
In indomethacin-induced ulcerated mice, pretreatment with famotidine, low-dose mucin, or high-dose mucin resulted in regression of gastric mucosal lesions compared to ulcerated controls.
“These groups had significantly lower gastric mucosal malondialdehyde and NO contents, IL-1β and NF-κB expression, and increased gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents, HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions, with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions compared to group 5 [29].”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
In indomethacin-induced ulcerated mice, pretreatment with famotidine, low-dose mucin, or high-dose mucin significantly lowered IL-1β and NF-κB expression compared to ulcerated controls.
“These groups had significantly lower gastric mucosal malondialdehyde and NO contents, IL-1β and NF-κB expression, and increased gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents, HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions, with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions compared to group 5 [29].”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
In indomethacin-induced ulcerated mice, pretreatment with famotidine, low-dose mucin, or high-dose mucin significantly lowered gastric mucosal malondialdehyde and NO contents compared to ulcerated controls.
“These groups had significantly lower gastric mucosal malondialdehyde and NO contents, IL-1β and NF-κB expression, and increased gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents, HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions, with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions compared to group 5 [29].”
From Chemical Variability and Biological Potential of Cornu aspersum Mucus as a Source for the Development of New Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Products (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
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Cited by
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Hudz, N., Turkina, V., Alyokhina, T., Motyka, O., Chemerys, N., Rumynska, T., Lozynskyi, A., Jasicka-Misiak, I., & Kobylinska, L. (2025) · Molecules · doi:10.3390/molecules30214197 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
- Authors
- Salem, M. B., Elzallat, M., Mohammed, D. M., Samir, S., Hammam, O. A., & Abdel-Wareth, M. T. A.
- Affiliations
- Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (EG)
- National Research Centre (EG)
- Corresponding author
- Mohammed, Dina Mostafa
- ORCID
- Venue
- Heliyon
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-05
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- e15677
- ISSN
- 2405-8440 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10151374
- OpenAlex
- W4366748209
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 3.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Heliyon (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Greater South Information System
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Inflammatory mediators and NSAID effects
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Mollusks and Parasites Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Keywords
- gastric ulcer, indomethacin-induced ulcer, gastroprotection, oxidative stress, inflammation, NF-κB, Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, IL-1β, malondialdehyde, glutathione, catalase, snail mucin
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