Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the antiinflammatory activity of the slime extracts from the giant African snail, Lissachatina fulica. In this study, aqueous and ethanol extracts of the snail slime were evaluated for antiinflammatory activities in vitro. The aqueous extract showed greater antiinflammatory activities than that of the ethanol extract. The aqueous extract was further tested for antiinflammatory activity in vivo. For acute inflammation, the ear edema assay was used to screen the slime extract. The results revealed that application of 2 mg/ear extract or phenylbutzone could significantly reduce edema when compared with ethanol-treated ears. For chronic inflammatory test, the cotton pellet granuloma model was employed to determine the activity of the slime extract. It was found that 2.5 and 6.25 % extract could significantly reduce transudative and granuloma weights. Moreover, the extracts also reduced malondialdehyde and increased superoxide dismutase in the granuloma tissue of the induced rats. In conclusion, the slime extract showed antiinflammatory activity both in vitro and in vivo. The antiinflammatory activity was also observed against acute and chronic inflammations, which suggested that the slime extracts has the potential to be developed into antiinflammatory products.