Exploring gastropods in drug discovery: a review of their bioactive compounds and pharmacological applications

Document Type : Review

Authors

• Bhagyashree Mohanty ¹
• Sanghamitra Mishra ²

¹ PhD Scholar, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University, K8, Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneswar-751003, Odisha, India

² Dean and Professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University, K8, Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneswar-751003, Odisha, India

10.22034/iar.2025.2009493.1907

Abstract

Mollusc species are an abundant source of secondary metabolites with numerous biological activities. Approximately eighty percent of mollusks are gastropods, which are used in various ways, including as food and traditional medicine, due to their high protein content. The use of various gastropods has grown rapidly in the last decades, particularly in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic products industries. This review focuses on the various bioactive compounds derived from gastropods and their corresponding biological activities. A list of essential factors for discovering and developing novel therapeutic drugs has also been discussed, along with a roadmap for further research on marine-derived products. This review provides a detailed discussion of the various metabolites isolated from different gastropod species, including 40 bioactive compounds and their reported biological activities. However, we aim to analyze the evidence for the traditional use of gastropods in controlling various clinical problems. This study suggests that isolated bioactive compounds are valid leads for medical biotechnologists and pharmaceutical chemists to design novel drug molecules.

Keywords

• Bioactive compounds
• Gastropods
• Biological activities
• Natural product
• Pharmaceutical

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