BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE AND THE SEARCH OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE MUCUS FROM THE SLUG Phyllocaulis boraceienses (Thomé, 1972)

TOLEDO-PIZA A. R. (1), FRANZOLIN, M. R. (2), SANT’ANNA  O. A. (2), LEBRUN  I. (3), NAKANO E. (1), KAWANO T. (1)

(1) Laboratório de Parasitologia; (2) Lab. Especial de Microbiologia; (3) Lab. de Bioquímica e Biofísica - Instituto Butantan

Many invertebrates, like mollusks, have been used as source of compounds with antibiotic activity. Biochemical profile of the mucus from the slug Phyllocaulis boraceienses was studied in order to determine if this specie present fraction containing this kind of compound. Assays to quantify proteins, lipids, amino acids, free and bound glucose associated with other substances, mass spectrometry, electrophoretic profile and a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were carried through. Crude samples were collected using a spatula and a saline solution (NaCl-0.06%). This material was stored in freezer at –70ºC, after that an extraction with acetonitrile was performed, and then the material was lyophilized. Finally, the microbiological assays were performed on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa andEscherichia coli pure cultures. The composition was: protein = 1,15 x 10-4mg/ml; lipids = 6,9 x 10-5mg/ml; amino acid analysis = only few amino acids were detected, probably the material degraded; free glucose = not detected; glucose in association with another compounds = 600mg/ml. The mass spectrometry shows a compound with 17,5kDa molecular weight and probably masses corresponding to monomers, dimmers and trimmers. In the HPLC assay some bands of protein were detected, these results were in accordance to that obtained in the electrophoretic profile. The bactericidal effect was not detected. These preliminarily data suggested that the mucus although being a source of protein does not have any bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic action at least for the bacteria species tested.   

KEY WORDS: slugs, Phyllocaulis boraceienses, mollusks, antimicrobial action, biochemical profile.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: FAPESP and CAPES

CORRESPONDENCE TO: Ana Rita de TOLEDO-PIZA – Av. Vital Brazil, 1500 – CEP 05503-900 – São Paulo – SP – (44) (11) 37267222 r. 2158 – Email: artpiza@butantan.gov.br