Hemocyanins are oxygen-transporting glycoproteins in the hemolymph of arthropods and mollusks that attract scientific interest with their diverse biological activities and potential applications in pharmacy and medicine. The aim of the present study was to assess the in vitro antitumor activity of hemocyanins isolated from marine snail (RvH) and garden snails (HlH) and (HaH), as well the mucus of snails, in the HT-29 human colorectal carcinoma cell line. The effects of the hemocyanins on the cell viability and proliferation were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the alterations in the tumor cell morphology were examined by fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy.
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