p. 235 - 243 SOME PROPERTIES OF THE PEPSIN NATURAL INHIBITOR EXTRACTED FROM THE MARINE GASTROPODE Rapana thomasiana GROSSE Natalia Rosoiu 1), M. Serban 2), and Maria Panait 1) 1) Institut Roumain de Recherches Marines Constanta 2) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Bucuresti Abstract A natural inhibitor of pepsin, developing an intensive antipeptic activity, was separated and purified from the marine gastropode Rapana thomasiana Grosse; the value the inhibition constant, Ki, is only 0,009 mg/ml. This inhibitor is of peptidic nature, reacts almost instantaneously with the enzyme and causes an inhibition of the noncompetitive type as related to the hemoglobin used as a substrate. The inhibition developed is a function of the inhibitor concentration in the reaction medium and does not depend on the purity of the preparation used.