Fish Skin Mucus Extracts: An Underexplored Source of Antimicrobial Agents.

The slow discovery of new antibiotics combined with the alarming emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria underscores the need for alternative treatments. In this regard, fish skin mucus has been demonstrated to contain a diverse array of bioactive molecules with antimicrobial properties, including peptides, proteins, and other metabolites. This review aims to provide an overview of the antimicrobial molecules found in fish skin mucus and its reported in vitro antimicrobial capacity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Additionally, the different methods of mucus extraction, which can be grouped as aqueous, organic, and acidic extractions, are presented. Finally, omic techniques (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and multiomics) are described as key tools for the identification and isolation of new antimicrobial compounds. Overall, this study provides valuable insight into the potential of fish skin mucus as a promising source for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents.

Standardized Extract from Wastes of Edible Flowers and Snail Mucus Ameliorate Ultraviolet B-Induced Damage in Keratinocytes.

Several studies have highlighted the ability of snail mucus in maintaining healthy skin conditions due to its emollient, regenerative, and protective properties. In particular, mucus derived from Helix aspersa muller has already been reported to have beneficial properties such as antimicrobial activity and wound repair capacity. In order to enhance the beneficial effects of snail mucus, a formulation enriched with antioxidant compounds derived from edible flower waste (Acmella oleracea L., Centaurea cyanus L., Tagetes erecta L., Calendula officinalis L., and Moringa oleifera Lam.) was obtained. UVB damage was used as a model to investigate in vitro the cytoprotective effects of snail mucus and edible flower extract. Results demonstrated that polyphenols from the flower waste extract boosted the antioxidant activity of snail mucus, providing cytoprotective effects in keratinocytes exposed to UVB radiation. Additionally, glutathione content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lipid peroxidation levels were reduced following the combined treatment with snail mucus and edible flower waste extract. We demonstrated that flower waste can be considered a valid candidate for cosmeceutical applications due to its potent antioxidant activity. Thus, a new formulation of snail mucus enriched in extracts of edible flower waste could be useful to design innovative and sustainable broadband natural UV-screen cosmeceutical products.

Endogenous Fluorescent Proteins in the Mucus of an Intertidal Polychaeta: Clues for Biotechnology.

The vast ocean holds many unexplored organisms with unique adaptive features that enable them to thrive in their environment. The secretion of fluorescent proteins is one of them, with reports on the presence of such compounds in marine annelids being scarce. The intertidal Eulalia sp. is an example. The worm secretes copious amounts of mucus, that when purified and concentrated extracts, yield strong fluorescence under UV light. Emission has two main maxima, at 400 nm and at 500 nm, with the latter responsible for the blue-greenish fluorescence. Combining proteomics and transcriptomics techniques, we identified ubiquitin, peroxiredoxin, and 14-3-3 protein as key elements in the mucus. Fluorescence was found to be mainly modulated by redox status and pH, being consistently upheld in extracts prepared in Tris-HCl buffer with reducing agent at pH 7 and excited at 330 nm. One of the proteins associated with the fluorescent signal was localized in secretory cells in the pharynx. The results indicate that the secretion of fluorescent proteinaceous complexes can be an important defense against UV for this dweller. Additionally, the internalization of fluorescent complexes by ovarian cancer cells and modulation of fluorescence of redox status bears important considerations for biotechnological application of mucus components as markers.

Xuanbai Chengqi decoction plus Western Medicine in treatment of severe pneumonia with symptom pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung: a Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xuanbai Chengqi decoction (, XBCQD) plus Western Medicine (WM) in treatment of severe pneumonia with symptom pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of XBCQD on severe pneumonia with symptom pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung, were included in this study. Seven electronic databases were searched up to March 2019. Meta-analysis was conducted by Review Manager 5.3 software. Risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as effect estimation. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs were included, involving 992 participants. Meta-analysis showed that XBCQD combined with WM achieved better effectiveness than WM alone in terms of total effective rate [RR = 1.23, 95%CI (1.16, 1.30)], clinical pulmonary infection score [CPIS, MD = -2.02, 95%CI (-2.42, -1.63)], acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ [APACHEⅡ, MD = -6.81, 95% CI (-8.26, 5.37)], mechanical ventilation time [MD = -101.41, 95%CI (-140.47, -62.34)], and lactic acid content in arterial blood [MD = -2.41, 95%CI (-2.64, -2.18)]. CONCLUSION: XBCQD combined with WM had better benefit than WM alone to the patients of severe pneumonia with the symptom pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung. However, due to low quality of the included studies, more rigorously designed studies were required to further evaluate the effectiveness and safety of XBCQD in the treatment of severe pneumonia with symptom pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung.

Wound-healing activity of glycoproteins from white jade snail (Achatina fulica) on experimentally burned mice.

Burns are a global public health problem and the treatment of burn wounds is a major medical and economic issue. White jade snails (Achatina fulica) are now widely distributed in Asia, and they have been used to treat burns in folk medicine of China. In this study, the glycoproteins from white jade snails were investigated and their effect on burn healing was evaluated by a mouse burn model. The results showed that the snail mucus was mainly composed of proteins and polysaccharides, and it had good adhesion. The main component of snail mucus was glycoprotein from the results of DEAE Sepharose FF ion exchange chromatography. The 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging effect of 1 mg/mL snail mucus reached 13.77%. The wound healing rate of the snail mucus group was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.0001). Histopathological results showed that mice in the snail mucus group had a faster healing than that of the control group. The biochemical analysis was in agreement with the histopathological findings. These results suggested that glycoproteins from snail mucus showed effective wound healing activities in the skin of experimentally burned mice.

PI3K/Akt Signaling Involved with Osteoinductive Effects of Achatina fulica Mucus

Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts play important roles in bone formation. Achatina fulica mucus presented the property of osteoinduction. This study aimed to examine the effects of A. fulica mucus on human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) and human fetal osteoblastic cell line (HFOB) differentiation. The integrated effects of A. fulica mucus and polycaprolactone (PCL) on the differentiation of hMSCs were tested. The cell viability of hMSCs treated with A. fulica mucus was investigated by the MTT assay. The cell mineralization was observed by Alizarin Red S staining, the gene expression was investigated using RT-PCR, and the PI3K activation was studied using flow cytometry. The results indicated that A. fulica mucus induced osteogenic differentiation in hMSCs and HFOBs by upregulation of the osteogenic markers; osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OCN). The results of the Alizarin Red S staining indicated that A. fulica mucus supported mineralization in both hMSCs and HFOBs. The hMSCs cultured on PCL supplemented with A. fulica mucus showed significantly increased RUNX2 and OPN expressions. A. fulica mucus was observed to increase PI3K activation in hMSCs. The findings of this study suggested that A. fulica mucus and biomaterials could be applied together for use in bone regeneration in the future.

Effect of mucoadhesive agent HEC on herbal extracts retention and VSC producing bacteria reduction in an experimental oral biofilm.

Mucoadhesive tablets containing herbal formulation have been previously shown to reduce oral malodour. The aim of the present in vitro study was to test the effect of the mucoadhesive agent hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) added to a liquid phase herbal extract formulation on the mucoadhesive retention of the active ingredients and their effect against malodour production. Experimental oral biofilms were grown on mucin coated glass slides treated with liquid phase solutions of herbal extract with or without HEC as well as saline and 0.2% chlorhexidine as controls. Biofilms were quantified for volatile sulfide compounds (VSC) producing bacteria using CLSM and sampled for a salivary incubation assay to test for malodour production (odour judge), VSC production (Halimeter) and salivary protein degradation (SDS-PAGE). Results showed that the addition of HEC to the herbal extracts solution has significantly increased its mucin retained activity against malodour producing bacteria and their resulting malodour and VSC production and proteolytic activities. Taken together, results of the present study suggest that the addition of HEC to a liquid phase herbal extract solution may increase its bioavailability time and efficacy. However, due to the limitations of this in vitro study additional clinical investigations are needed.

Enrichment of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings diet with Psidium guajava: The effects on cutaneous mucosal and serum immune parameters and immune related genes expression.

The present study aimed at evaluation of possible effects of Psidium guajava as immunostimulant on mucosal and serum immunity, as well as related genes expression in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. In an eight weeks feeding trial, fish were fed with experimental diets containing guava leaf powder [GLP] (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1%). Then, skin mucus and serum immune parameters (total Ig, alkaline phosphatase activity, lysozyme activity), as well as immune related genes expression (TNF-alpha, IL1b, IL8) were measured. All levels of GLP inclusion in the diet brought about the increase in total Ig in the serum, while in the mucus only the highest level of GLP was effective. No significant differences were observed in mucus alkanine phosphatase activity, while fish fed 0.25% of GLP had noticeably higher serum lysozyme activity. The mucus total protein electrophoretic pattern revealed some differences between the control and the treated fish. Two high MW bands were present in the control group but not in the treated groups. Three bands with a low MW comprised between 35 and 17 mw were noticed in GLP fed carps and not in the control. Gene expression studies revealed no noticeable alterations in TNF-alpha gene between treated fish and control. However, the level of expression of IL-8 was strongly upregulated in fish fed 0.5 and 1% of GLP. Also, feeding on 0.5% of GLP significantly upregulated IL1b gene expression. Evaluation of growth performance revealed improved performance parameters in GLP treated groups. These results confirmed possible immunomodulatory and beneficial effects of GLP on common carp fingerlings.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Chinese Medicine Diagnosis Scale of Phlegm and Blood Stasis Syndrome in Coronary Heart Disease: A Study Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Phlegm and blood stasis syndrome (PBSS) is one of the main syndromes in coronary heart disease (CHD). Syndromes of Chinese medicine (CM) are lack of quantitative and easy-implementation diagnosis standards. To quantify and standardize the diagnosis of PBSS, scales are usually applied. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CM diagnosis scale of PBSS in CHD. METHODS: Six hundred patients with stable angina pectoris of CHD, 300 in case group and 300 in control group, will be recruited from 5 hospitals across China. Diagnosis from 2 experts will be considered as the "gold standard". The study design consists of 2 phases: pilot test is used to evaluate the reliability and validity, and diagnostic test is used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the scale, including sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio and area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CM diagnosis scale of PBSS in CHD. The consensus of 2 experts may not be ideal as a "gold standard", and itself still requires further study. (No. ChiCTR-OOC-15006599).

Stress-Induced Mucus Secretion and Its Composition by a Combination of Proteomics and Metabolomics of the Jellyfish Aurelia coerulea.

BACKGROUND: Jellyfish respond quickly to external stress that stimulates mucus secretion as a defense. Neither the composition of secreted mucus nor the process of secretion are well understood. METHODS: Aurelia coerulea jellyfish were stimulated by removing them from environmental seawater. Secreted mucus and tissue samples were then collected within 60 min, and analyzed by a combination of proteomics and metabolomics using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), respectively. RESULTS: Two phases of sample collection displayed a quick decrease in volume, followed by a gradual increase. A total of 2421 and 1208 proteins were identified in tissue homogenate and secreted mucus, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that the mucus-enriched proteins are mainly located in extracellular or membrane-associated regions, while the tissue-enriched proteins are distributed throughout intracellular compartments. Tryptamine, among 16 different metabolites, increased with the largest-fold change value of 7.8 in mucus, which is consistent with its involvement in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway 'tryptophan metabolism'. We identified 11 metalloproteinases, four serpins, three superoxide dismutases and three complements, and their presence was speculated to be related to self-protective defense. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide a composition profile of proteins and metabolites in stress-induced mucus and tissue homogenate of A. coerulea. This provides insight for the ongoing endeavors to discover novel bioactive compounds. The large increase of tryptamine in mucus may indicate a strong stress response when jellyfish were taken out of seawater and the active self-protective components such as enzymes, serpins and complements potentially play a key role in innate immunity of jellyfish.

Skin Mucus Protein Profile, Immune Parameters, Immune-Related Gene Expression, and Growth Performance of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fed White Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) Powder.

An 8-week feeding trial was performed to assess the effects of dietary white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder (WBMP) on the mucosal immunity and growth of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Trout (n = 192; weight 13.76 ± 1.17 g) were stocked in 12 cages (65 × 65 × 65 cm) placed in 4 raceways with a flow-through water system. Trout were fed a basal diet (control group) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1%, or 2% WBMP for 8 weeks. Evaluation of total protein levels and lysozyme activity in skin mucus revealed noticeable increases in trout fed 1% or 2% WBMP (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed with 0.5% WBMP administration (P > 0.05). The results of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed alterations in the protein profile of skin mucus following dietary administration of WBMP. Molecular studies showed a noticeable increase (P < 0.05) in tumor necrosis factor-α messenger RNA in the intestine of WBMP-fed trout, regardless of the inclusion level. Also, fish receiving the 1% or 2% WBMP treatments had a remarkable increase in interleukin (IL)-1ß expression compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In a similar way, intestinal IL-8 expression was upregulated with the 1% and 2% WBMP treatments (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found between the control group and the 0.5% WBMP treatment group in the case of IL-8 gene expression (P > 0.05). Furthermore, after 8 weeks of WBMP feeding, no improvement was seen in the growth parameters of trout compared with those fish fed the nonsupplemented diet (P > 0.05). These results hint at the potential immunomodulatory effects of dietary WBMP.

Zoanthid mucus as new source of useful biologically active proteins.

Palythoa caribaeorum is a very common colonial zoanthid in the coastal reefs of Brazil. It is known for its massive production of mucus, which is traditionally used in folk medicine by fishermen in northeastern Brazil. This study identified biologically active compounds in P. caribaerum mucus. Crude mucus was collected during low tides by the manual scraping of colonies; samples were maintained in an ice bath, homogenized, and centrifuged at 16,000 g for 1 h at 4 °C; the supernatant (mucus) was kept at -80 °C until use. The enzymatic (proteolytic and phospholipase A2), inhibitory (metallo, cysteine and serine proteases), and hemagglutinating (human erythrocyte) activities were determined. The results showed high levels of cysteine and metallo proteases, intermediate levels of phosholipase A2, low levels of trypsin, and no elastase and chymotrypsin like activities. The mucus showed potent inhibitory activity on snake venom metalloproteases and cysteine proteinase papain. In addition, it showed agglutinating activity towards O+, B+, and A+ erythrocyte types. The hemostatic results showed that the mucus prolongs the aPTT and PT, and strongly inhibited platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, collagen, epinephrine, ADP, and thrombin. The antimicrobial activity was tested on 15 strains of bacteria and fungi through the radial diffusion assay in agar, and no activity was observed. Compounds in P. caribaeorum mucus were analyzed for the first time in this study, and our results show potential pharmacological activities in these compounds, which are relevant for use in physiopathological investigations. However, the demonstration of these activities indicates caution in the use of crude mucus in folk medicine. Furthermore, the present or absent activities identified in this mucus suggest that the studied P. caribaeorum colonies were in thermal stress conditions at the time of sample collection; these conditions may precede the bleaching process in zoanthids. Hence, the use of mucus as an indicator of this process should be evaluated in the future.

Mucus-PVPA (mucus Phospholipid Vesicle-based Permeation Assay): An artificial permeability tool for drug screening and formulation development.

The mucus layer covering all mucosal surfaces in our body is the first barrier encountered by drugs before their potential absorption through epithelial tissues, and could thus affect the drugs' permeability and their effectiveness. Therefore, it is of key importance to have in vitro permeability models that can mimic this specific environment. For this purpose, the novel mucus phospholipid vesicle-based permeation assay (mucus-PVPA) has been developed and used for permeability screening of drugs and formulations. The model proved to be stable under the chosen conditions and demonstrated the ability to discriminate between compounds with different chemical structures and properties. Overall, a decrease in drug permeability was found in the presence of mucus on top of the PVPA barriers, as expected. Moreover, mucoadhesive (chitosan-coated) and mucopenetrating (PEGylated) liposomes were investigated in the newly developed model. The mucus-PVPA was able to distinguish between the different liposomal formulations, confirming the penetration potential of the tested formulations and the related drug permeability. The mucus-PVPA model appears to be a promising in vitro tool able to mimic the environment of mucosal tissues, and could therefore be used for further drug permeability screening and formulation development.

Mucoadhesive functionality of cell wall structures from fruits and grains: Electrostatic and polymer network interactions mediated by soluble dietary polysaccharides.

We demonstrate the enhancement of intestinal mucin (Muc2) binding to plant cell wall structures from fruit (parenchymal apple tissue) and grain (wheat endosperm) mediated by soluble dietary fibers embedded within cellulose networks. Mucin binding occurs through two distinct mechanisms; for pectin polysaccharides characteristic of fruits and vegetables, it is governed by molecular mucoadhesive interactions, while for neutral polysaccharides, arabinoxylan and ß-glucan characteristic of cereal grains, the interaction stems from the properties of their polymer network. Based on microrheological and microscopic measurements, we show that neutral dietary fiber polysaccharides do not adhere to intestinal mucin, but are capable of disrupting the mucin network, which facilitates interpenetration of mucin molecules into the polysaccharide mesh. This effect becomes significant in the context of 'whole foods', where soluble fibers are incorporated within the gel-like matrix of cellulose-reinforced plant cell wall structures. The result of mucoadhesion assay and analysis of microscopy images points to the critical role of entanglements between mucin and polysaccharides as a lock-in mechanism preventing larger mucin from escaping out of plant cell wall structures. These results provide the first indication that non-pectin soluble dietary fiber may influence mucosal interactions, mucus barrier properties, and transmucosal transport of nutrients.

Antimicrobial peptide from mucus of Andrias davidianus: screening and purification by magnetic cell membrane separation technique.

Andrias davidianus, the Chinese giant salamander, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many decades. However, no antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been described from A. davidianus until now. Here we describe a novel AMP (andricin 01) isolated from the mucus of A. davidianus. The peptide was recovered using an innovative magnetic cell membrane separation technique and was characterised using mass spectrometry and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Andricin 01 is comprised of ten amino acid residues with a total molecular mass of 955.1 Da. CD spectrum analysis gave results similar to the archetypal random coil spectrum, consistent with the three-dimensional rendering calculated by current bioinformatics tools. Andricin 01 was found to be inhibitory both to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, the peptide at the minimal bacterial concentration did not show cell cytotoxicity against human hepatocytes or renal cells and did not show haemolytic activity against red blood cells, indicating that is potentially safe and effective for human use. Andricin 01 shows promise as a novel antibacterial that may provide an insight into the development of new drugs.

PEGylated Nanoemulsions for Oral Delivery: Role of the Inner Core on the Final Fate of the Formulation.

Since the past decade, there has been growing interest to grant nanoparticles with diffusion properties across mucosae. In this sense, the nonionic block copolymer Pluronic F127 (PF127) has emerged as a promising coating agent to formulate mucus-penetrating particles. In the journey to find efficient coating agents, researchers have focused more on the effect of the coating agent architecture rather than on the role of the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticle used as the substrate. The current knowledge about mucodiffusive particles is in general based on model-like nanoparticles, such as polystyrene or poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles, but there is a lack of information about the potential of PF127 on other colloidal systems. This work aims to shed some light on this issue by selecting three oils, palm (solid), coconut (semisolid), and wheat germ (liquid), with different physicochemical properties to formulate PF127-coated nanoemulsions. The obtained nanoemulsions were characterized, and their colloidal stability was tested. Their diffusion capacity was determined by particle tracking after challenging the nanoemulsions across an intestinal porcine mucus layer. In accordance with the evidence of model-like nanoparticles, our results state that PF127 allows mucodiffusion, but its effectiveness as a coating agent clearly depends on the physicochemical properties of the nanostructure core over which PF127 is placed. Among other physicochemical properties, the results certainly showed that the hydrophobic character of the nanostructure core emerges as a critical factor in the formulation of successful PF127 coatings.

Physical and chemical characteristics of mucin secreted by pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP).

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare disease with excess intraperitoneal mucin secretion. Treatment involves laparotomy, cytoreduction and chemotherapy that is very invasive with patients often acquiring numerous compromises. Hence a mucolytic comprising of bromelain and N-acetyl cystein has been developed to solubilise mucin in situ for removal by catherization. Owing to differences in mucin appearance and hardness, dissolution varies. Therefore the current study investigates the inter-mucin physical and chemical characteristics, in order to reformulate an effective mucolytic for all mucin. Method: PMP mucin, from the three categories (soft, semi hard and hard mucin) was solubilised and then various physical characteristics such as turbidity, density, kinematic viscosity were measured. The water content and the density of solid mucin were also determined. This was followed by the determination of sialic acid, glucose, lipid, Thiol (S-S and S-H) content of the samples. Lastly, the distribution of MUC2, MUC5B and MUC5AC was determined using western blot technique. Results: Both turbidity and kinematic viscosity and sialic acid content increased linearly as the hardness of mucin increased. However, density, hydration, protein, glucose, lipid and sulfhydryl and disulphide content decreased linearly as hardness of mucin increased. The distribution ratio of mucins (MUC2:MUC5B:MUC5AC) in soft mucin is 2.25:1.5:1.0, semi hard mucin is 1:1:1 and hard mucin is 3:2:1. Conclusion: The difference in texture and hardness of mucin may be due to cellular content, hydration, glucose, protein, lipids, thiol and MUC distribution. Soft mucin is solely made of glycoprotein whilst the others contained cellular materials.

Bioactivities of crude mucus proteins from Eudrilus eugeniae (African night crawler) and Perionyx excavatus (Blue worm).

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the enzymatic anti-oxidative, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of crude mucus proteins from the two earthworms including Eudrilus eugeniae (African night crawler) and Perionyx excavatus (Blue worm). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bioactivities were determined by hemolytic activity, cytotoxic activity using HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, L-929 mouse fibroblast and TK6 human lymphoblast cell lines and antioxidant activity. RESULTS: The results indicated that the hemolytic activity of mucus proteins of P. excavatus was higher than that of E. eugeniae. The cytotoxic activity of the mucus proteins of E. eugeniae could inhibit the growth of HepG2 with the IC50 at 144.2 ± 0.18 µg/mL but showed no effect on L-929 and TK6. On the other hand, the crude proteins of P. excavatus decreased cell viability of both L-929 and HepG2 with their IC50 respectively were 6.87 ± 0.16 and 174.3 ± 0.19 µg/mL but they did not reduce the growth of TK6 cell line. The SOD-like activity of P. excavatus and E. eugeniae crude proteins were found with the IC50 at 149 µg/mL and 386.2 µg/mL, respectively. For GPx-like activity, crude proteins of P. excavatus exhibited significant (p ≤ 0.05) greater activity than those of E. eugeniae when tested at the concentration 100 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the bioactivities of crude mucus of earthworms which served as alternative natural proteins for the prophylaxis or treatment of free radical-related diseases as well as development of dietary supplements and cosmetics.

An evaluation of coral lophelia pertusa mucus as an analytical matrix for environmental monitoring: A preliminary proteomic study.

For the environmental monitoring of coral, mucus appears to be an appropriate biological matrix due to its array of functions in coral biology and the non-intrusive manner in which it can be collected. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using mucus of the stony coral Lophelia pertusa (L. pertusa) as an analytical matrix for discovery of biomarkers used for environmental monitoring. More specifically, to assess whether a mass-spectrometry-based proteomic approach can be applied to characterize the protein composition of coral mucus and changes related to petroleum discharges at the seafloor. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) screening analyses of orange and white L. pertusa showed that the mucosal protein composition varies significantly with color phenotype, a pattern not reported prior to this study. Hence, to reduce variability from phenotype difference, L. pertusa white individuals only were selected to characterize in more detail the basal protein composition in mucus using liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In total, 297 proteins were identified in L. pertusa mucus of unexposed coral individuals. Individuals exposed to drill cuttings in the range 2 to 12 mg/L showed modifications in coral mucus protein composition compared to unexposed corals. Although the results were somewhat inconsistent between individuals and require further validation in both the lab and the field, this study demonstrated preliminary encouraging results for discovery of protein markers in coral mucus that might provide more comprehensive insight into potential consequences attributed to anthropogenic stressors and may be used in future monitoring of coral health.