Utilisation of common leafy vegetables in the diets of giant West African snail Archachatina marginata (Swainson, 1821) (Stylommatophora: Achatinidae)

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of utilisation of three leafy vegetable diets (bitter leaf Vernonia amygdalina, fluted pumpkin leaf Telfairia occidentalis and pawpaw leaf Carica papaya) on the growth performance of giant West African snail Archachatina marginata. A total of 90 A. marginata were used for the study. 30 snails were also subjected to three different dietary treatments in three replicates of 10 snails per replicate and fed with the fresh leaves of these vegetables over a period of 12 weeks. Results obtained recorded significant differences (P < 0.05) in terms of weight gain, shell length, shell circumference and shell thickness. On the whole, Archachatina marginata fed on fluted pumpkin leaf performed better in terms of mean weight gain when compared with those fed on bitter and pawpaw leaves. On the other hand, snails fed on pawpaw leaf had the best mean shell length gain, mean shell circumference and mean shell thickness when compared with those fed on bitter and fluted pumpkin leaves. The result clearly showed that the tested leafy vegetables can be successfully utilised as diets for rearing of A. marginata. For farmers to achieve better result, the inclusion of fluted pumpkin and pawpaw leaves in the diets of Archachatina marginata is highly recommended in snail rearing businesses.

References

1. Abu, N. E.; Ozoagudike, C. M.; Akaneme, F. I.
2. Phytochemical, proximate and anti-nutrient
3. compositions of four leafy vegetables used in
4. south eastern Nigeria. African Journal of
5. Biotechnology, v. 13, no. 50, p. 4541-4546,
6. Ademolu, K. O.; Idowu, A. B.; Mafiana, C. F.;
7. Osinowo, O. A. Performance, proximate and
8. mineral analyses of African giant land snail
9. (Archachatina marginata) fed different
10. nitrogen sources. African Journal of
11. Biotechnology, v. 3, no. 8, p. 412-417, 2004.
12. Ademolu, K.; Olaniyi, P.; Ebenso, I.; Idowu, B.
13. Morphometrics and mineral composition of
14. shell whorls in three species of giant African
15. snails from Abeokuta, Nigeria. Folia
16. Malacologica, v. 24, no. 2, p. 81-84, 2016.
17. https://doi.org/10.12657/folmal.024.013
18. Agbelusi, E. A.; Ejidike, B. N. Utilizatioin of the
19. African giants land snail Archachatina
20. marginata in the humid area of Nigeria.
21. Tropical Agriculture, v. 69, no. 1, p. 88-92,
22. Agbogidi, O. M.; Okonta, B. C. Reducing
23. poverty through snail farming in Nigeria.
24. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North
25. America, v. 2, no. 1, p. 169-172, 2011.
26. https://doi.org/10.5251/abjna.2011.2.1.169.
27. Akegbejo, S.; Akinnusi, O. Effects of
28. population density on the growth and egg
29. laying capacity of African giant snail A.
30. marginata. Nigerian Journal of Animal
31. Production, v. 27, p. 99-103, 2000.
32. Amusan, J. A.; Omidiji, M. O. Edible land
33. snails: A technical guide to snail farming in
34. the tropic. Ibadan: Verify Printers, 1998.
35. p. 19-22.
36. Antia, B. S.; Akpan, E. J.; Okon, P. A.; Umoren,
37. I. U. Nutritive and anti-nutritive evaluation of
38. sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) leaves.
39. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, v. 5,
40. p. 166-168, 2006.
41. AOAC - Association of official Analytical
42. Chemists. Official Methods of Analysis.
43. ed. Washington D.C., 2005. p. 71-79.
44. Ayoola, P. B.; Adeyeye, A. Phyochemical and
45. nutrient evaluation of Carica papaya
46. (pawpaw) leaves. International Journal of
47. Research and Reviews in Applied Science,
48. v. 5, no. 3, p. 325-328, 2010.
49. Baba, K. M.; Adeleke, M. T. Profitability of
50. snail production in Osun State, Nigeria.
51. Journal of Agriculture and Food Science,
52. v. 4, no. 2, p. 147-155, 2006.
53. https://doi.org/10.4314/jafs.v4i2.41602
54. CDC - Centers for Disease Control and
55. Prevention Parasites. Angiostrongyliasis
56. (also known as Angiostrongylus Infection).
57. Available from:
58. <https://www.cdcgov/parasites/angiostron
59. gylus/epi.html>. Accessed on: Jan. 18, 2019.
60. Cobbinah, J. R., Vink, A.; Onwuka, B. Snail
61. farming, processing and marketing.
62. Wayeningen: Agromisa Foundation, 2008.
63. Ejidike, B. N.; Omisade, I. A. Evaluation of dry
64. season rearing of African giant snail
65. (Archachatina marginata) on different food
66. type and apartments. Journal of Fisheries
67. and Aquatic Sciences, v. 2, no. 5, p. 361-365,
68. Essien, A. I.; Ebana, R. U. B.; Udoh, H. B.
69. Chemical evaluation of pod and pulp of the
70. fluted pumpkin fruit. Food Chemistry, v. 45,
71. no. 3, p. 175-178, 1992.
72. FAO - Food and Agriculture Organisation.
73. Farming snails: Learning about snails,
74. building a pen, food and shelter plants. Rome:
75. FAO, 1986. (FAO Better Farming Series, 33).
76. Utilisation of common leafy vegetables in the diets of Archachatina marginata 187
77. Braz. J. Biol. Sci., 2019, Vol. 6, No. 12, p. 181-187.
78. Houndonougbo, M. F.; Chrysostome, C. A. A.
79. M.; Odoulami, R. C.; Codjia, J. T. C. Snail shell
80. as an efficient mineral feedstuff for layer
81. hens: Effects and optimum rate. Livestock
82. Research for Rural Development, v. 24,
83. no. 9, p. 1-7, 2012.
84. Kehinde, A. S.; Adebayo, O.; Usman, J. M.;
85. Meduna, A. J. Effect of the incorporation of
86. Carica papaya leaf and fruit in the ration of
87. Archachatina marginata on the growth
88. performance characteristics. NSAP
89. Proceeding, p. 319-320, 2002.
90. Lunn, J.; Buttriss, J. L. Carbohydrates and
91. dietary fibres. Nutrition Bulletin, v. 32,
92. no. 1, p. 21-64, 2007. https://doi.org/
93. 1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00616.x
94. Maisarah, A. M.; Asmah, R.; Fauziah, O.
95. Proximate analysis, antioxidant and
96. antiproliferative activities of different parts
97. of Carica papaya. Journal of Nutrition &
98. Food Science, v. 4, no. 2, p. 267, 2014.
99. https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9600.100
100. Marquardt, W. C.; Demaree, R. S.; Grieve, R. B.
101. Parasitology and vector biology. 2. ed. San
102. Diego, California: Academia Press, 2000.
103. Mead, A. R. Economic malacology: With
104. particular reference to Achatina fulica. In:
105. Fretter, V.; Peake, J. (Eds.). Pulmonates.
106. London: Academic Press, 1979. v. 2B. p. 150.
107. Mogbo, T. C.; Nwankwo, O. D.; Nwuzor, I. L.
108. Growth performance of snails (Achatina
109. fulica) fed with three different leaf materials.
110. American Journal of Biology and Life
111. Sciences, v. 2, no. 4, p. 96-99, 2014.
112. Okafor, F. O. The geographical location of
113. Ogidi: An annual report of Idemili North
114. Local Government Urban Development
115. Bulletin, 2011.
116. Okonta, B. C.; Agbogidi, O. M. Growth
117. response of Achatina achatina and
118. Archachatina marginata as influenced by
119. three vegetable feeds. ARPN Journal of
120. Agriculture and Biological Science, v. 6,
121. no. 9, p. 72-75, 2011.
122. Olufokunbi, B.; Philips, E. O.; Omidiji, J. O.;
123. Ogbonna, U. O.; Makinde, H. T; Apansile, O. J.
124. The economics of commercial domestication
125. of the African giant land snail Archachatina
126. (Calachatina) marginata (Swainson) in
127. Nigeria. In: Henderson, I. F. (Ed.). Slugs and
128. snails in world agriculture. Thornton
129. Heath: British Crop Protection Council, 1989.
130. No. 41. p. 41-48.
131. Omole, A. J.; Kehinde, A. S. Backyard snail
132. farming at a glance: Back to agricultural
133. sciences (1). Ibadan: Technovisor
134. Agricultural Publication, 2005.
135. Orisawuyi, Y. A. Practical guides to snail
136. rearing. Lagos: Gratitude Enterprises, 1989.
137. Opega, J. L.; Orishagbebmi, C. O.; Yusufu, P. A.;
138. Ishaka, N. A. Proximate composition, mineral
139. and phytochemical contents of some leafy
140. vegetables native to Igala kingdom, Kogi
141. State, Nigeria. International Journal of
142. Biochemistry Research & Review, v. 15,
143. no. 4, p. 1-11, 2016.
144. Raut, S. K.; Barker, G. M. Achatina fulica
145. Bowdich and other Achatinidae as pests in
146. tropical agriculture. In: Barker, G. M. (Ed.).
147. Molluscs as crop pests. Hamilton, New
148. Zealand: CABI Publishing, 2002. p. 55-114.
149. SAS - Statistical Analysis System. User’s
150. guide, version 8.2. Cary, NC, USA: SAS
151. Institute Inc., 2001.
152. Sizer, F.; Whitney, E. Nutrition concepts and
153. controversy. 9. ed. Belmont, USA: Thomson
154. Wadsworth Publisher, 2003.