Comparative study of antimicrobial activity of mucus of helicostyla metaformis and achatina fulica

Compounds with antimicrobial activity have been found from insects, amphibians, and even mammals. Recently, a glycoprotein that exhibited activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was isolated from a giant African snail, Achatina Fulica Ferussac, in Okinawa, Japan. The study aims to isolate and purify a parallel antibacterial factor from Philippine land snails\u27 mucus. In this research, Achatina fulica, Helicostyla metaformis, and Helicostyla metaformis ovularis belonging to Phylum Mollusca, class gastrodpoda, subclass pulmonata, order stylommatophora were gathered in Silang, Cavite and studied. Mixture of glycoproteins was isolated through qualitative test analysis. The isoletric pH range from 5 to 6. Tris-HCI buffer with pH8.0 was used to extract water-soluble fraction and 50% and 90% ammonium sulfate saturation to precipitate it. This fraction was needed to test for the activity against S. aureus and E. coli. The techniques used to analyze each mucus fraction quantitively were UV absorption of proteins at 280nm, Biuret assay, and Anthrone-Sulfuric Acid. Discontinuous sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was done to account for the varied antimicrobial activities via comparison of bands formed