Snail Slime Extracted by a Cruelty Free Method Preserves Viability and Controls Inflammation Occurrence: A Focus on Fibroblasts
Open accessAbstract
Snail slime (SS) is a viscous secretion obtained from different snail species. SS composition is variable according to factors such as the extraction method. Even if several papers have been published regarding this topic, the molecular mechanisms at the base of SS biological effects remain unexplored. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the capability of SS, extracted with the cruelty-free Muller method, to promote viability and angiogenesis processes and, in parallel, to counteract inflammation occurrence on skin cell populations. SS was administered to keratinocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts, then cell viability, through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, cytotoxicity by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, morphology by haematoxylin-eosin staining, gene and protein expression through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot, cell cycle phases by flow cytometry, and collagen secretion using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, were measured. Our results evidence SS capability to promote fibroblast viability and to trigger recovery mechanisms by activating the Erk protein. Moreover, an appreciable anti-inflammatory effect due to the significant reduction in cyclooxygenase-2 expression, and a positive modulation of new blood vessel formation demonstrated by increased Angiopoietin 1 gene expression and a higher matrix deposition (evidenced by the augmented amount of released collagen I) can be identified. This evidence led us to assume that the Muller method extracted-SS represents a valuable and promising natural product suitable for cosmetic and skin care formulations.
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Introduction of snail mucus into fibroblast culture promoted its viability and effectively counteracted basal expression of COX-2, depending on concentration.
“The introduction of snail mucus into the fibroblast culture promoted its viability and effectively counteracted the basal expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), depending on the concentration of the snail mucus.”
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 [70]
Results §2.7 reports that snail slime reduced COX-2 expression relative to untreated fibroblasts, with a larger reduction at the 1:40 dilution than at 1:80. But Results §2.3 does not support promoted viability: viability was unchanged at 24 hours and significantly reduced at 48 and 72 hours, although cytotoxicity was lower at 48 hours. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAn effect of decrease in number of alive cells (keratinocytes and macrophages) was revealed for high concentration of snail mucus (diluted 1:20).
“An effect of a decrease in the number of alive cells (keratinocytes and macrophages) was revealed for the high concentration of the snail mucus (when diluted 1:20).”
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 [70]
Studies concerning angiogenesis indicate that snail mucus has different mechanisms of impact on the wound-healing process.
“In addition, the studies concerning angiogenesis [21,70,74,75,76] indicate that snail mucus has different mechanisms of impact on the wound-healing process.”
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 [70]
Thus, snail mucus supported positive modulation of pro-angiogenic signaling.
“Thus, snail mucus supported the positive modulation of the pro-angiogenic signaling [70].”
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 [70]
Snail mucus can lead to new blood vessel formation; angiopoietin 1 gene expression is noticeably increased in human gingival fibroblasts when snail mucus was administered after inflammatory stimulus, while angiopoietin 2 gene expression is reduced.
“Moreover, snail mucus can lead to new blood vessel formation. Angiopoietin 1 gene expression is noticeably increased in the culture of human gingival fibroblasts when snail mucus was administered after the use of such an inflammatory stimulus as peroxyde hydrogen. Contrarily, the gene expression of the anti-angiogenic factor, angiopoietin 2, is reduced after adding snail mucus.”
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 [70]
A significant reduction in COX-2 expression was revealed for human gingival fibroblasts compared to control, with major extent for 1:40 dilution, and same tendency with cells pretreated with hydrogen peroxide 100 μM and then exposed to slime mucus at 1:40 and 1:80 dilutions.
“A significant reduction in COX-2 expression was revealed for human gingival fibroblasts compared to the control, with a major extent for 1:40 dilution, and the same tendency was observed with these cells pretreated with hydrogen peroxide 100 μM and then exposed to slime mucus at 1:40 and 1:80 dilutions.”
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 [70]
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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
- Ricci, A., Gallorini, M., Feghali, N., Sampò, S., Cataldi, A., & Zara, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Chieti-Pescara (IT)
- International Institution of Heliciculture of Cherasco-Lumacheria Italiana s.r.l., 12062 Cherasco, Italy
- Corresponding author
- Zara, Susi
- Venue
- Molecules
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2023-01-26
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 1222
- ISSN
- 1420-3049 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9920497
- OpenAlex
- W4318200420
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5
- FWCI
- 3.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Molecules (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Wound Healing and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Skin Protection and Aging
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Phytochemistry and biological activity of medicinal plants
- Keywords
- snail slime, Muller method, fibroblast viability, anti-inflammatory activity, angiogenesis, ERK signaling, cyclooxygenase-2, angiopoietin-1, type I collagen, skin care, keratinocytes, macrophages, cell cycle
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cell Survival, Collagen, Fibroblasts, Inflammation, Snails, Collagen Type I
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