Antimicrobial resistance constitutes a critical and accelerating global health challenge that undermines the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics and necessitates the identification of alternative antimicrobial resources. Snail mucus has emerged as a biologically complex secretion enriched in antimicrobial peptides, glycoproteins, lectins, oxidative enzymes, and sulfated polysaccharides that collectively exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. This review integrates current evidence on the molecular composition of snail mucus, its antimicrobial mechanisms, and its role in the green synthesis of biofunctional nanomaterials. Species-dependent bioactivity, antibiofilm effects, membranolytic and oxidative mechanisms, and the enhancement of antimicrobial efficacy through mucus-mediated nanoparticle fabrication are critically examined. We further discuss translational applications in wound healing, biomaterials, and emerging anti-infective platforms, alongside challenges related to standardization, biosafety, and clinical scalability. By unifying molecular, mechanistic, and nanotechnological perspectives within a single biomedical framework, this review positions snail mucus as a promising natural platform for the development of next-generation antimicrobial strategies in response to escalating antibiotic resistance.
Khayari et al. (Wed,) studied this question.