Effect of captive rearing on meat and haemolymph nutritional characteristics of snail (Archachatina marginata swainson)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate and compare the impact of treatment, which is the source of snail (wild and captive reared) on the proximate and mineral composition (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe and Mn) of the meat and haemolymph of African land snails (Archachatina marginata). Ninety (90) adult snails (250.00 + 0.5g) were randomly distributed into two (2) treatments, each of three replicates, (15 snails per replicate), in a Complete Randomized Design. Samples of meat and haemolymph collected using standard procedures were subsequently analyzed for their nutritional qualities, using standard chemical analytical procedures. All data collected were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, while significant variation were separated with Duncan Multiple Range Test of the same package. The proximate composition of the meat revealed higher (P>0.05) DM (26.00%), Ether extract (2.17%) and NFE (3.57%) in SC, while there was a non-significant variation (P<0.05) in most proximate factors for haemolymph, except NFE (4.27%), which was higher (P>0.05) in SW. The mineral profiling of the meat revealed  elevated (PP>0.05) levels of Fee (22.30mg/kg) and Mn (4.79mg/kg) of SC, the haemolymph recorded improved levels (P>0.05) for all mineral elements in SC. In conclusion, the captive rearing of snail had improved impact on the
nutritional qualities of SC.