Structural characterization of a glycoprotein from white jade snails (Achatina Fulica) and its wound healing activity

Snail mucus is rich in proteins and polysaccharides, which has been proved to promote wound healing in mice in our previous research. The aim of this study was to investigate the effective component in snail mucus that can exert the wound healing potential and its structural characterization. Here, the glycoprotein from the snail mucus (SM1S) was obtained by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-300 columns. The structural characteristics of SM1S were investigated via chromatographic techniques, periodic acid oxidation, FT-IR spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that SM1S was a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 3.8 kDa (83.23 %), consists of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, fucose at a ratio of 13.180:4.875:1043.173:7.552:1:3.501:2.058. In addition, the periodic acid oxidation and NMR analysis showed that SM1S contained 1,6-glycosidic bonds, and might also contain 1 → 4 and 1 → 2 glycosidic or 1 → 3 glycosidic bonds. Furthermore, the migration experiment of human skin fibroblasts in vitro suggested that SM1S had a good effect to accelerate the scratch healing of cells. This study suggested that SM1S may be a prospective candidate as a natural wound dressing for the development of snail mucus products.