Recent advances on nano delivery of Helix mucus pharmacologically active components

Bioactive products from snail slime of “Helix” specie have potential applications in preventing and/or treating several human diseases and in cancer diagnosis. However, the poor pharmacokinetics characteristics of these natural compounds limit their use. Nanotechnology offers promising solutions for the enhanced formulation of these molecules through the synthesis of nanosized drug delivery systems. These vectors are characterized by facilitated transport across the biological barriers, enhanced bioavailability, targeted delivery and the capacity to protect sensitive compounds from biological and environmental degradation. Overall, this review focus on the description of bioactive natural substances derived from snails belonging to the genus helix and their successfully combinations with nanosized vectors.