[4][5] This has been experimentally confirmed for the perivitellins ovorubin (PcOvo) and PcPV2, which were only found in the albumen gland with no extra-gland synthesis, circulation or storage.
The first functional studies performed in Pomacea canaliculata, considered them mostly as storage proteins that provided energetic and structural precursors for the embryos, since they are consumed during development.
[16] Later research on PV1s (PcOvo, PmPV1, and PsSC) reported that their carotenoid cofactor, notably astaxanthin, serves as a potent antioxidant and provides the reddish color to the eggs.
[8][22][26] PcOvo and PsSC also carry phosphate groups attached to serine residues that may serve as a phosphorus reserve for the embryo.
[19] Unlike PcOvo and PmPV1, PsSC is also an active lectin that agglutinates bacteria and alters the gastrointestinal mucosa of rats, functions associated with embryo protection against both pathogens and predators.
[18][32] Finally, a recent study of Pomacea canaliculata PV3 fraction identified and characterized two protease inhibitors from the Kunitz and Kazal families, a function also related to an antipredator defense since it would prevent predators to digest proteins from the eggs when ingested.