Abstract

Background: Snail Mucus (SM) is secreted by the pedal gland of snails, and has a fibrous structure when it crawls upside down on the plane. It contains biologically active compounds that perform medical functions, such as glycol acid, natural antibiotics, and glycoprotein.

Methods: For this paper, we prepared fibers using electrospinning to simulate this natural fiber for the first time, and we can produce the nanofiber with mucus from a snail. The effects of dissolution time and the spun solution were also investigated.

Results: The results show that biomimetic nanofibers with different diameters can be obtained using electrospinning. When the concentration of the spun liquid was increased from 6 wt% to 8 wt%, a fiber with about a 200 nm diameter can be obtained. The adjustment of the concentration plays a crucial role in electrospinning.

Conclusion: The investigation and utilization of biomimetic nanomaterials can promote the development of tissue engineering effectively.

Keywords: Snail mucus, biomimetic, biomaterial, electrospinning, nanofiber, glycol.