Nutritional potential of the giant African land snail (Achatina fulica) as a sustainable protein source for food and feed

Résumé fourni par la source

Snails offer a rich combination of historical significance, nutritional value, and gastronomic diversity. Studies evaluating the nutritional characteristics of snails commonly available in Nepal are limited. This study hypothesized that the giant African snail ( Achatina fulica ) can be an alternative nutrient source for future food and feed applications. Snail samples were collected from nine sites in the Chitwan district of Nepal, and various nutritional analyses were performed. The soft body (flesh) of snails exhibited a notably high crude protein content (>50 % dry matter, DM), followed by the whole body (∼25 % DM) and shell (∼2 % DM). Most amino acids (AA) contents of the snails were similar to those in soybean meal (SBM), except for two essential AA, threonine (∼23 g/kg, P < 0.05) and isoleucine (∼21 g/kg, P < 0.05), which were significantly higher and lower than that of SBM, respectively. The non-essential AA of snails, glycine (∼35 g/kg DM), cysteine (∼13 g/kg DM), and alanine (∼27 g/kg DM), were significantly higher than those of SBM ( P < 0.05). Moreover, protein or AA contents of A. fulica meat are similar or even superior to those found in conventional (e.g., beef, mutton, pork, chicken, fish, and eggs) or novel food sources (e.g., insects, and macroalgae). A. fulica shells were richer in calcium (373 g/kg DM) and could be added to the diets of laying hens. Future studies are needed on snail species-specific nutritional properties, health and safety of snail-based diets, and their effects on animal health, production, and performance.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.