Antimicrobial potentials of mucus mucin from different species of giant African land snails on some typed culture pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

The study aims at evaluating the antibacterial activities of mucus mucin from three species of the giant African land snails; Archachatina marginata, Achatina achatina, and Achatina fulica. Snail slime was collected from forty-five snails comprising the three species of snails from the southwestern region of Nigeria. The antibacterial potential and bacteria growth rate (in hours) of the mucus mucin were determined using agar well diffusion method and liquid broth. Acetic acid (acid), ammonium bicarbonate (alkaline), and water (aqueous) were each used to extract the slime. The result showed that mucus secretions from the three snail species differed in color, degree of the sliminess, and volume. Snail mucus extract had antimicrobial effects on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The inhibitory effects of mucus extracts differed depending on the treatment method and storage time, with acid extracts having a higher inhibitory capacity regardless of snail species or storage time. A. marginata's mucus secretions had a stronger antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis when compared to mucus from A. achatina and A. fulica. The zone of inhibition of the mucus mucin in solid agar ranged between 24.0–19.5mm for A. marginata and ranged between 21.0-17.5mm and 21.0–15.0mm for A. achatina and A. fulica , within 2-72 storage hours). Mucus mucin seems to lose its antibacterial potential with time; however, the antibacterial capability of the giant African snail species could provide the much-needed solution to antibiotic resistance.