Evaluation of snail mucin motifs as rectal absorption enhancer for insulin in non-diabetic rat models.

The use of snail mucin motifs as rectal absorption enhancer for insulin has been evaluated. The mucin motifs were extracted from the giant African snail Archachatina marginata by differential precipitation with acetone. The mucin motifs were found to have a molecular weight of 5780 Da and an isoelectric point of 3.4. At the concentrations evaluated, the mucin exhibited rectal absorption enhancing property for the administration of insulin in rats. The % basal blood glucose level of the rats that received the batch of suppositories containing no mucin were consistently above 100% except at the ninetieth minute when it came down slightly to 97.2%. Rats dosed with the batch containing 7%w/w suppositories showed the greatest blood glucose reduction with mean % basal blood glucose concentration of 61.2%. Batches of the suppository containing 5% and 7% mucin showed more marked and consistent lowering in blood glucose concentration than the other batches containing lower amounts of the rectal absorption enhancer. The batch with 7% mucin reduced the basal glucose level to 44% within 2 h of administration of the glycero-gelatin suppository loaded mucin.