ORIGINAL PAPER
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Snail meat is considered as a valuable nutrient source, due to its high protein and low-fat content, low caloric value and high content of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids. Escargot could become an alternative for consumers looking for diets enriched with nutrients beneficial for human health. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of four compound diets containing a different protein source on the chemical composition, the levels of fatty acids and the antioxidant profile of meat of Cornu aspersum aspersum reared under intensive farm conditions. Snails of each treatment were fed with a compound diet containing soya (Glycine max), organic soya, white lupin (Lupinus alba) or pea (Pisum sativum). In addition, sexually mature snails were collected directly from nature for comparison purposes. Chemical analyses were conducted on the meat of snails that have reached proper commercial weight and size (mean weight: 16.97 ± 0.29 g; mean diameter: 38.66 ± 0.24 mm). The results revealed that meat from snails fed diet containing organic soya had higher collagen content, whereas meat from snails fed Pisum sativum and Lupinus alba resulted in better protein and fat content, healthier fatty acid profile and better antioxidant capacity. So, the obtained results provide novel, valuable information on snail farming practices, and may serve as a piece of information for producers how to provide consumers with high-quality snail products.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the Mediterranean Escargot company for offering its farming premises for conducting the experiment. We would also like to thank the staff of the snail farm for their assist in animal farming practices.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethical note All rearing conditions and handling procedures were in accordance with the European Commission Recommendation 2007/526/EC and Directive 2010/63/UE on revised guidelines for the accommodation and care of animals used for experimentation and other scientific purposes.
 
REFERENCES (35)
1.
Aebi H., 1984. Catalase in vitro. Methods Enzymol. 105, 121–126, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0076-....
 
2.
Ander B.P., Dupasquier C.M.C., Prociuk M.A., Pierce G.N., 2003. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and their effects on cardiovascular disease. Exp. Clin. Cardiol. 8, 164–172.
 
3.
AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists), 1990. Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 15th Edition. Arlington, VA (USA).
 
4.
Blanc A., 1993. Ultradian and circadian rhythmicity of behavioural activities in the young snail Helix aspersa maxima (Gastropoda, Helicidae). Can. J. Zool. 71, 1506–1510, https://doi.org/10.1139/z93-21....
 
5.
Bonnet J.C., Aupinel P., Vrillon J.L., 1990. The Helix aspersa snail. Biology-Breeding (in French: Ľescargot Helix aspersa: biologie-élevage. INRA Editions. Paris (France).
 
6.
British Department of Health, 1994. Nutritional aspects of cardiovascular disease. Report of the Cardiovascular Review Group Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. Rep. Health Soc. Subj. (Lond.) 46, 1–186.
 
7.
Cisterna B., Flach F., Vecchio L., Barabino S.M.L., Battistelli S., Martin T.E., Malatesta M., Biggiogera M., 2008. Can a genetically- modified organism-containing diet influence embryo development? A preliminary study on pre-implantation mouse embryos. Eur. J. Histochem. 52, 263–267, https://doi.org/10.4081/1226.
 
8.
Cheney S., 1988. Raising Snails. Special Reference Brief Series no. SRB 88-04. National Agricultural Library. Beltsville, MD (USA), pp. 15.
 
9.
De Grisse A., 1991. Automation of escargot fattening (in Dutch: Automatisatie van de vesmesting van Escargots). Med. Fac. Landbouw. Rijksuniv. Gent (Belgium), 56/1.
 
10.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 1986a. Farming snails 1: learning about snails, building a pen, food and shelter plants. Better Farming Series no. 33. FAO. Rome (Italy), https://www.fao.org/3/bp069e/b....
 
11.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 1986b. Farming snails 2: choosing snails, care and harvesting, further improvement. Better Farming Series no. 34. FAO. Rome (Italy), https://www.fao.org/3/bp070e/b....
 
12.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 2021. FAOSTAT. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/... (access: September 2021).
 
13.
Folch J., Lees M., Sloane Stanley G.H., 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J. Biol Chem. 226, 497–509, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-....
 
14.
Gogas A., Hatzioannou M., Lazaridou M., 2003. Heliciculture of Helix aspersa Müller 1774 in Greece. In: Symposium Proceedings No. 80. Slugs & Snails: Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Perspectives. Canterbury, Kent (UK). British Crop Protection Council. Alton, Hampshire (UK), pp. 95–98.
 
15.
Ghosh S., Jung C., Meyer-Rochow V.B., 2016. Snail farming: an Indian perspective of a potential tool for food security. Ann. Aquac. Res. 3, 1024, https://www.jscimedcentral.com....
 
16.
Ghosh S., Jung C., Meyer-Rochow V.B., 2017. Snail as mini-livestock: Nutritional potential of farmed Pomacea canaliculata (Ampullariidae). Agric. Nat. Res. 51, 504–511, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anre....
 
17.
Iglesias J., Castillejo J., 1999. Field observations on feeding of the land snail Helix aspersa Muller. J. Moll. Stud. 65, 411–423, https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus...
 
18.
ISO (International Standard Organization), 1994. ISO 3496:1994 Meat and meat products – Determination of hydroxyproline content.
 
19.
Janaszewska A., Bartosz G., 2002. Assay of total antioxidant capacity: comparison of four methods as applied to human blood plasma. Scan. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 62, 231–236, https://doi.org/10.1080/003655....
 
20.
Keles M.S., Taysi S., Sen N., Aksoy H., Akçay F., 2001. Effect of corticosteroid therapy on serum and CSF malondialdehyde and antioxidant proteins in multiple sclerosis. Can. J. Neur. Sci. 28, 141–143, https://doi.org/10.1017/S03171....
 
21.
Kitabchi A.E., McDaniel K.A., Wan J.Y., Tylavsky F.A., Jacovino C.A., Sands C.W., Nyenwe E.A., Stentz F.B., 2013. Effects of highprotein versus high-carbohydrate diets on markers of β-cell function, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, proinflammatory cytokines, and adipokines in obese, premenopausal women without diabetes: a randomized control trial. Diabetes Care 36, 1919–1925, https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-1....
 
22.
Li Q., Patience J.F., 2017. Factors involved in the regulation of feed and energy intake of pigs. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 233, 22–33, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anif....
 
23.
Malatesta M., Boraldi F., Annovi G., Baldelli B., Battistelli S., Biggiogera M., Quaglino D., 2008. A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: effects on liver ageing. Histochem. Cell Biol. 130, 967–977, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418....
 
24.
Milinsk M.C., das Graças Padre R., Hayashi C., de Souza N.E., Matsushita M., 2003. Influence of diets enriched with different vegetable oils on the fatty acid profiles of snail Helix aspersa maxima. Food Chem. 82, 553–558, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-....
 
25.
Murphy B., 2001. Breeding and Growing Snails Commercially in Australia. A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC). Publication No. 00/188. RIRDC. Kingston (Australia), https://www.agrifutures.com.au....
 
26.
Orellana C., Peña F., García A., Perea J., Martos J., Domenech V., Acero R., 2009. Carcass characteristics, fatty acid composition, and meat quality of Criollo, Argentino and Braford steers raised on forage in a semi-tropical region of Argentina. Meat Sci. 81, 57–64, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meat....
 
27.
Patsoukis N., Zervoudakis G., Panagopoulos N.T., Georgiou C.D., Angelatou F., Matsokis N.A., 2004. Thiol redox state (TRS) and oxidative stress in the mouse hippocampus after pentylenetetrazol-induced epileptic seizure. Neurosci. Lett. 357, 83–86, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neul....
 
28.
Ribas J., 1986. Snail Breeding – New Brazilian Economic Option (in Portuguese: Criação de Caracóis – Nova Opção Econômica Brasileira). Nobel. São Paulo (Brasil), p.123.
 
29.
Rajendran P., Nandakumar N., Rengarajan T., Palaniswami R., Gnanadhas E.N., Lakshminarasaiah U., Gopas J., Nishigaki I., 2014. Antioxidants and human diseases. Clin. Chim. Acta 436, 332–347, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.....
 
30.
Reddy Y.N., Murthy S.V., Krishna D.R., Prabhakar M.C., 2004. Role of free radicals and antioxidants in tuberculosis patients. Indian J. Tub. 51, 213–218.
 
31.
Richardson A.M.M., 1975. Food, feeding rates and assimilation in the land snail Cepaea nemoralis L. Oecologia 19, 59–70, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0037....
 
32.
Sekine T., Todo H., Yokote Y., Sugibayashi K., 2008. Skin permeation of soy derived peptides as cosmeceuticals. Soy Prot. Res. 11, 127–131.
 
33.
Tokudome Y., Kage M., Hashimoto F., 2012. Influence of oral administration of soybean peptide on water content of the stratum corneum, transepidermal water loss and skin viscoelasticity. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2, 137, https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9....
 
34.
Williams C.M., 2000. Dietary fatty acids and human health. Ann. Zootech. 49, 165–180, https://doi.org/10.1051/animre....
 
35.
Zhang J., Fu X., Li W., Li H., Ying Z., Liu X., Yin L., 2020. Enhancement of nutritional soy protein and peptide supplementation on skin repair in rats. J. Funct. Foods 75, 104231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.....
 
 
CITATIONS (5):
1.
Edible Snail Production in Europe
Anna Rygało-Galewska, Klara Zglińska, Tomasz Niemiec
Animals
 
2.
Direct evidence of the important role of proteins in bioconcentration and biomagnification of PFASs in benthic organisms based on comparison with OPEs
Ying Zhang, Ying Chen, Huijuan Chen, Yanfeng Zhang, Liping Yang, Wenjue Zhong, Lingyan Zhu
Science of The Total Environment
 
3.
Effect of boiling on chemical composition of small brown snail (Cornu aspersum aspersum) meat
Maciej Ligaszewski, Krzysztof Surówka, Beata Szymczyk, Przemysław Pol, Barbara Anthony
Annals of Animal Science
 
4.
Nutritional Composition, Fatty Acids Profile, Mineral Content, Antioxidant Activity and Acute Toxicity of the Flesh of Helix aspesra Müller
Marouane Aouji, Hamada Imtara, Amine Rkhaila, Bouchra Bouhaddioui, Ahmad Alahdab, Mohammad Parvez, Alzahrani Saleh, Lrhorfi Aicha, Rachid Bengueddour
Molecules
 
5.
Cryptomphalus aspersa Egg Extract Protects against Human Stem Cell Stress-Induced Premature Senescence
Zozo Outskouni, Christina Christodoulou, Andreas Goutas, Ioannis D. Kyriazis, Adamantini Paraskevopoulou, George P. Laliotis, Anthia Matsakidou, Athanasios Gogas, Varvara Trachana
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
 
ISSN:1230-1388
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top