Composition and pharmacological analysis of loach mucus

Abstract

Hydrogel plays an important role in the composition of biological tissue. Muscle, cell membrane, blood vessel wall, hair and cartilage in human body can be regarded as hydrogel. The mucus on the surface of natural living organisms such as loach, andrias davidianus and earthworm is natural hydrogel. This kind of mucus with peculiar smell is produced by living organisms due to external stimulation of body surface stress response. It is a kind of self-protection. And this mucus has certain effects of antibacterial, antifatigue and enhancing immunity. The main component of mucus is collagen with shorter molecular structure and molecular weight is relatively small, and the content of collagen can reach about 40 ∼ 60 % in mucus. It has a certain bonding effect on skin surface damage, and plays the function of quickly closing wounds and killing bacteria. Hyaluronic acid (HA), active structure in oligosaccharide peptide and collagen peptide extracted from mucus, particularly type II collagen, play important roles in skin repair. This function of this natural hydrogel may open a new approach for the development of secondary functions of such organisms.