Extraction and identification of bioactive compounds from the mucus of a slug Laevicaulis alte

Abstract

Since ancient times, natural products have been crucial in maintaining human health because of their therapeutic benefits. The majority of prescribed drugs in affluent countries are extracted from mollusks. The emergence of drug resistance in human diseases against commonly used antibiotics has necessitated a search for novel antimicrobial molecules from a variety of sources. The land slug, Laevicaulis alte, is commonly seen in the Kanyakumari District. Its mucus is a sticky, elastic fluid with adhesive and lubricating properties. The biochemical characteristics of the land slug Laevicaulis alte mucus was studied, the results showed that the fat, protein, and carbohydrate content of slug mucus was substantially higher. Using GC-MS analysis, the bioactive components of slug crude mucus have been assessed, the majority of the compounds have antimicrobial properties.15 antimicrobial compounds extracted among these Octadecane (42.747), Tetrapentacontane (39.510),1-Heptacosanol (39.414) have high retention time. The identified compounds are known to have therapeutic benefits