Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources (ECOMARE), Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal.
Molecules. 2024 Sep 27;29(19):4593. doi: 10.3390/molecules29194593.
(Sacoglossa, Gastropoda) is a tropical sea slug known for its ability to incorporate functional chloroplasts from a variety of green macroalgae, a phenomenon termed kleptoplasty. This sea slug, amenable to laboratory cultivation, produces mucus, a viscous secretion that serves diverse purposes including protection, locomotion, and reproduction. In this study, we profiled the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of the mucus of this sea slug. Results revealed inhibitory activity against several bacterial strains, more pronounced for Gram-negative bacteria. Particularly interesting was the strong inhibitory effect against , a bacterial species classified by the WHO as a high-priority pathogen and associated with high-risk infections due to its frequent multidrug-resistant profile. Similar inhibitory effects were observed for the mucus native protein extracts, indicating that proteins present in the mucus contributed significantly to the antimicrobial activity. The mucus also showed both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The latter activities were associated with the low molecular weight (<10 kDa) fraction of the mucus rather than the native protein extracts. This study opens the way to further research on the biotechnological applications of the mucus secreted by this unique marine organism, particularly as an antimicrobial agent.
（Sacoglossa，腹足纲）是一种热带海参，以能够从各种绿藻中摄取功能性叶绿体而闻名，这种现象被称为盗食质体。这种海参易于在实验室中培养，它会分泌黏液，这种粘稠的分泌物有多种用途，包括保护、运动和繁殖。在这项研究中，我们对这种海参的黏液的抗菌、抗氧化和抗炎活性进行了分析。结果表明，它对几种细菌菌株具有抑制活性，对革兰氏阴性菌的抑制作用更为明显。特别有趣的是，它对 具有很强的抑制作用，这种细菌被世界卫生组织列为高优先级病原体，由于其经常出现多药耐药性，与高风险感染有关。黏液中的天然蛋白提取物也表现出类似的抑制作用，表明存在于黏液中的蛋白质对其抗菌活性有重要贡献。黏液还具有抗氧化和抗炎活性。抗炎活性与黏液的低分子量（<10 kDa）部分有关，而不是天然蛋白提取物。这项研究为进一步研究这种独特海洋生物分泌的黏液在生物技术方面的应用开辟了道路，特别是作为一种抗菌剂。
