Advancing the discovery of bioactive compounds, its extraction and identification from the underexplored mollusc, Cipangopaludina lecythis (W. H. Benson, 1836)

Abstract

The enormous diversity of molluscs has provided humans with food, colours, medicines and shells, among other resources. Molluscs have long been utilized in traditional medicine in several countries and they are a valuable source of medical supplies for many diverse communities worldwide. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess Cipangopaludina lecythis bioactive compounds in order to determine the nature of the primary ingredient that gives its medicinal properties. C. lecythis flesh and shell extracts using polar and lipophilic solvents were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This study provides the first chemical assessment of flesh and shell-opercula of C. lecythis. Chemical analysis of flesh and shell-opercula of C. lecythis clearly showed the presence of major compounds such as chitin, allantoin, linoleic acid, dihydrotachysterol, cyclotrisiloxane hexamethyl and 6-gingerol besides other minor compounds with bioactive properties of medicinal significance. Overall, this research provides good evidence that C. lecythis produce secondary metabolites with a variety of intriguing pharmacological characteristics. They have also long been a part of traditional medicine in many human cultural groups. Its usage by traditional practitioners to treat a range of human diseases is justified by the presence of numerous medicinally significant bioactive chemicals. However, more research on the bioactive compounds found in snails is necessary to standardize the extraction techniques for their detection, quantification and formulations, to validate their in vivo efficacy, and confirm their safety.

Keywords

• Gastropods
• Bioactive compounds
• Traditional medicine
• Shell
• Opercula