Biochemical Characterization, Metabolomic Profiling, and in vitro Bioactivity Screening of Freshwater Snail-Derived Crude Protein Extracts

Theodor Bilharz Research Institute

Bibliographic Information

Authors: Masoud H.M.; El-Seedi H.R.; Mohamed A.H.; Hamed A.A.; Helmy M.S.; Habib M.R.

Journal: Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries

Publisher: Egyptian Society for the Development of Fisheries and Human Health

Publication Date: 1 July 2026

Volume / Issue: Volume 30 / Issue 4

Pages: 1141–1160

ISSN: 11106131

DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2026.491932.8001

Scopus: View on Scopus

Document Type: Article

Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access

Authors and Affiliations

Masoud H.M., Molecular Biology Dept, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt, Proteome Research Lab, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt; El-Seedi H.R., Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt; Mohamed A.H., Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt; Hamed A.A., Microbial Chemistry Dept, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt; Helmy M.S., Molecular Biology Dept, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt, Proteome Research Lab, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt; Habib M.R., Medical Malacology Dept, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, 1 Corniche El Nile St., Warrak El-Haddar, Imbaba, Giza, 12411, Egypt

Abstract

Freshwater snails are usually studied as intermediate hosts of parasites, but their soft tissues also contain proteins, enzymes and metabolites that can show measurable in vitro bioactivity. This study compared crude protein extracts from three adult freshwater snails collected in Egypt: Biomphalaria alexandrina, Bulinus truncatus and Helisoma duryi. Ten adult snails per species (approximately 2–3 g wet weight each) were used, and whole soft tissues were collected after infection screening. The work combined ¹H NMR spectral profiling, antioxidant enzyme assays, native PAGE activity staining, SDS-PAGE, antimicrobial screening at 500 µg/mL, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), antibiofilm testing and MTT cytotoxicity assays. The ¹H NMR spectra showed broadly conserved, visually assessed metabolic fingerprints dominated by aliphatic and carbohydrate/ oxygenated regions, with species-related differences in signal patterns. Antioxidant enzyme activities differed significantly among species: Bu. truncatus showed the highest SOD and GST activities, whereas CAT activity was highest in B. alexandrina. SDS-PAGE showed clear differences in protein profiles, with Bu. truncatus having the most complex banding pattern. In the bioactivity assays, Bu. truncatus showed the strongest antibacterial and antibiofilm responses among the snail extracts, while H. duryi showed the strongest antifungal response against Candida albicans. The extracts also showed weak to moderate cell line-dependent cytotoxicity, with lower apparent toxicity toward WI-38 fibroblasts than toward some cancer cell lines. Overall, these findings show that the three freshwater snails share a common biochemical background but differ in their enzymatic, protein and in vitro bioactivity profiles. The results support further purification, compound identification, and mechanistic investigation, but they do not establish therapeutic activity. © 2026, Egyptian Society for the Development of Fisheries and Human Health. All rights reserved.

Keywords

1 H NMR; Antimicrobial activity; Antioxidant enzymes; Crude protein extract; Cytotoxicity; Freshwater snails

Citation Information

Scopus Citations: 0

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