Effect of different diets containing varying inclusion levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on growth, mineral composition and meat quality of the edible land snails Archachatina marginata and Achatina fulica

This study examined the effect of different dietary inclusion levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on growth, haemolymph mineral composition and meat quality of Archachatina marginata and Achatina fulica. A total of one hundred and forty four (144) juvenile snails of A. marginata= 72 and A. fulica= 72, were used for the study. Eighteen (18) snails of each species were subjected to four dietary treatments (0%, 10%, 15% and 20%) of M. oleifera leaf meal in three replicates of six (6) snails per replicate over a period of 16 weeks. Growth was measured using growth indices while haemolymph mineral composition and meat quality were determined spectrometrically and by proximate method. A. marginata and A. fulica fed diets containing 20% M. oleifera leaf meal showed the best growth performance compared to the other treatments with increase in mean weight gain of 132.14% and 62.95%, mean shell length gain of 51.87% and 59.47%, mean shell circumference gain of 22.81% and 47.53% and mean shell thickness gain of 2.18% and 83.43%, respectively, as compared to the control diet. The haemolymph mineral composition results of the two species showed that magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus and chlorine were highest in snails fed diet with 20% M. oleifera leaf meal. However, copper and sodium were recorded highest in A. marginata fed with control diet. The results of the proximate meat analysis showed that the highest crude protein contents were recorded in A. marginata and A. fulica fed with 20% M. oleifera leaf meal, with an increase in crude protein content of 80.42% and 114.28%, compared to the control diet. Based on the results of this study, the inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf meal in the snail diet up to 20% is recommended for optimum productivity of the two snail species.