NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT OF GIANT LAND SNAIL (ARCHACHATINA MARGINATA) FROM A SHELLFISH PRODUCING AREA IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA.

Transcription

1 African Journal of Science and Research,2016,(5)3:11-15 ISSN: Available Online: NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT OF GIANT LAND SNAIL (ARCHACHATINA MARGINATA) FROM A SHELLFISH PRODUCING AREA IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA. Received:26,Mar,2016 Edidiong A. Essien 1*, Ubong J. Etim 2, Ndifreke E. Williams 1, Harrison O. Tighiri 1 1Cyprus International University, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Engineering, Mersin,Turkey. 2Department of Chemistry, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. eddyventures001@yahoo.com Accepted:02,May,2016 Abstract Proximate and mineral composition of the giant land snail (Archachatina marginata) were determined for nutritional assessment using its muscular tissue. The Proximate content of the snail indicated the following mean percentage values: Moisture (69.70 %), Ash (9.39 %), Fibre (6.11 %), Protein (60.56 %), Lipid (5.675 %), Carbohydrate (18.25%) and Calorie ( kcal). The mean concentration of amino acids were: Lysine g/100g, Histidine g/100g, Arginine g/100g, Aspartic g/100g, Threonine g/100g, Serin g/100g, Glutamic g/100g, Proline 0.611g/100g, Glycine 1.753g/100g, Alanine 3.464g/100g, Cysteine 0.431g/100g, Valine g/100g, Methionine g/100g, Isoleucine g/100g, Leucine g/100g, Tyrosine g/100g, Phenylalamine g/100g, wh ile Ammonia and Norleucine were not detected. The mean concentration of minerals were: Potassium mg/100g, Calcium mg/100g, Manganese mg/100g, Iron mg/100g, Magnesium mg/100g, Copper mg/100g, Nickel mg/100g, Lead mg/100g, Zinc mg/100g, while Cobalt and Cadmium were below detectable limit. The fatty acid comprises mainly palmitic, myristic, oleic, vaccinic, linoleic, erucic, behenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. From the results of the analyses, the land snail showed good proximate and nutrient composition and would therefore serve as a good dietary source of the protein and mineral to the human body. Keywords: Proximate, Mineral Composition, Snail, Amino Acid, Fatty Acid. INTRODUCTION In some developing countries, protein is derived largely from livestock [1-3] and fish [4]. However, these major animal protein sources have continued to diminish in their capacity to meet demand due to persistent drought, diseases, high cost of feed, primitive animal husbandry techniques and low productivity by local animal breeds [5, 6]. The ever increasing human population coupled with rising standard of living has continued to influence existing conventional sources of animal protein and therefore a need for supplementary sources. The land snail which belongs to the phylum Molluscs and class Gastropods, are non-conventional wildlife dietary protein source in Nigeria and some other parts of sub-saharan Africa. Its meat known as Congo meat is a delicacy highly relished by its consumers, and constitutes one of the major and cheapest sources of protein [7-9]. Meat of snail is believed to be palatable, nutritious and rich in essential amino acids such as lysine, leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine as well as iron contents [10-12]. Orisawuyi [13] indicated that snail meat is particularly rich in protein and iron whereas Ademolu et al. [5] remarked the importance of protein in growth, maintenance of hormonal and enzymatic activities, and in improvement of the defense mechanism of the body. It has been reported that the amino acids in the protein of snail would complement the cereal sources of protein by making good their relative deficiency of lysine [14]. According to the literature, the fat content obtained in proximate composition and mineral profile of snail meat from different species of land snail in Nigeria was low compared with 9.6, 21.4 and 23.0% found in egg, mutton and duck products respectively [2]. The low fat and cholesterol contents make snail meat a good antidote for hypertensive patient and those that have fat related diseases i.e. arteriosclerosis vascular diseases such as heart attack, cardiac arrest and stroke [10, 15, 16]. Medically, snails have also been recommended for the treatment of certain ailments such as anaemia, asthma, and high blood pressure due to their relatively low cholesterol levels [3]. In view of the overall nutritional benefits which may be derived from consumption of snail meat, a comprehensive assessment of its nutritional composition is desirable for more knowledge of the nutrient profile of the snail in different parts of the world. In this work, we report proximate and mineral composition of a species of snail (the giant land snail), available in large quantities in southern parts of Nigeria and popularly consumed as food for provision of animal protein. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study area and sample collection/preparation A total of 64 samples of the giant land snail used in this study were harvested fresh from land in Itu Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State, a famous shellfish producing area in Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The LGA occupies a landmass of approximately square kilometres and has a coordinate of N E Sampling was done monthly (March October) for eight consecutive months by random free hand collection procedure. The samples collected from the study area were washed with fresh water and preserved in a freezer. The shells were carefully removed using the forceps and scalpels so that the edible parts (foots) could be separated. The foot was washed with potassium alum (K2SO4Al2[SO4]3.24H2O) to remove slime and blood, then subsequently with distilled water. The flesh was dried in the oven at 60 o C to constant weight and milled to obtain the powder used for the analyses. Nutrient analysis Proximate composition including moisture, ash and crude fiber contents were determined by the methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) [17]. Briefly, about 2.0 g of sample was weighed in a porcelain crucible to gravimetrically determine moisture and ash contents by desiccation at 105 C for 4 h and incineration in oven at 600 C for 6 h respectively [18]. Nitrogen was determined by Micro-Kjeldahl method as described by Pearson [19]. The quantity of protein was calculated as 6.25 X N. Fat content was determined by the method of Bligh and Dyer [20]. Carbohydrate

2 Content (%) Calorie 12 was determined as the difference between 100% (accepted total value of nutritional status) and the sum of the values of protein, moisture, fiber, fat and ash. Fatty acid components were determined using Gas Liquid chromatography [21]. Amino acid profiles were obtained as described elsewhere [22, 23]. Briefly, samples were hydrolysed in 6 M HCl at 110 C for 24 h. The hydrolysates were dissolved in 0.1 M HCl, filtered and preserved in freezer. The ashes were used for preparation of solutions used for minerals (calcium, iron, sodium and potassium) assay, and determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) by measuring absorption at their respective wavelengths of maximum absorption [24]. The other minerals were analyzed according to AOAC method. All data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using SPSS version 20, while significant treatment means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test. 70 Moisture Crude fibre Crude lipid Ash Crude protein Carbohydrate Edidiong A. Essien et.al There was no statistical significant difference (p>0.05) amongst measurements. The values obtained in this work are in close agreement to those reported by [8, 26]. The percentage yield of the lipid was in the range 4.25% to 7.15% which is clear evidence that the samples have a very little oil content. Crude protein was highest in July sample with value of 66.85% and lowest in August sample with value of 53.20%. The percentage crude protein was significantly different from other proximates at (P<0.05). The protein values recorded in all the investigated periods were significantly higher than those obtained for other Molluscs [23] and Giant land snail reported by Babalola and Akinsoyinu [8]. This suggests snail meat is a high quality food that is rich in protein and low in fats. The calorie values of the samples are shown in Fig. 2. The values range from kcal and average kcal for the period under study. The overall results show decreased proximate composition in august than any other months probably due to the short dryness period of the wet season S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 Sample Fig(1) Proximate content of different giant land snail in percentage, S1 S8 refer to samples collected from the month of March to October respectively. All measurements are statistically significant at (P 0.05). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Proximate Composition Analysis The data in Fig. 1 are results of proximate composition of the flesh of our snail samples. Values of protein, moisture, fibre, lipid, carbohydrate, and caloric value vary according to different samples. Proximate analysis of the snail revealed that moisture was within the range of 65.72% to 73.65% for all samples. Samples harvested in July had the highest value of 73.65% while August samples had the least value of 65.72%. The differences in the moisture contents may be attributed to change of seasons [25]. In the area where the study samples were procured, August is characterized by a short period of dryness where snails normally aestivate, bury themselves in the soil or hide beneath stones in order to avoid direct effect of sun. On the whole, the relatively high moisture content in the snail samples is an indication of the presence of lower amount of dirt and impurities. 300 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 Sample Fig(2) Calorie content of the eight samples of giant land snail, S1 S8 refers to samples collected from the month of March to October respectively. All measurements are statistically significant at (P 0.05). Fatty acid composition Table(1) Fatty acid composition (%) The fatty acid profile of the eight snail samples as determined by gas-liquid chromatography is given in Table 1. It was found that the eight samples were composed of mainly palmitic, myristic, oleic, vaccinic, linoleic, erucic, behenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. The fatty acid composition obtained is in close agreement with values obtained in previous studies for cephalopods [23]. From the fatty acids shown in Table 1, palmitic acid is the most prevalent with relative abundance between 20.26% to 28.06%. The total saturated and unsaturated fatty acid contents of the samples are 31.9% and 68.1%, respectively. Fatty acids of the n- 3, n-6 and n-9 families are important supplements for cell culture systems used to bio-manufacture heterologous proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies. Generally, consumption of fatty acids

3 Content (g/100g) African Journal of Science and Research, 2016,(5)3: protects against various diseases such as cancer, inflammatory and ischemic heart disease [15]. The n-9 family of fatty acids, including oleic acid are known to be synthesized by animal cells from the saturated precursors palmitic and stearic acids. Amino acid composition The various types of amino acids present in our samples are shown in Fig. 3. Essentially, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and form peptides (short polymer chains) or polypeptides (long chains). Human beings produce only half of the amino acids that exist. Notably, the samples of the snail have a good number of essential amino acids needed in the body system. The content varies with the month of sampling. From Fig. 3, the most prevalent amino acids in order of decreasing abundance are Arginine, Lysine, Glusine, Leucine, Isdeudine and Valine. However, samples harvested in July had the highest amino acid amongst the entire samples. The results of this analysis therefore imply that the snail is a good source of essential proteins which are not produced in the body. Depletion or lack of intake of essential amino acids results in the breakdown of protein within the body. The amino acids produced in the body are: Alanine, Asparginine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glutmamine, Glycine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine, while the essential amino acids which are present snail include: Arginine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Leucine, Methionine, Lysine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Threonine, Valine. Children in some developing countries for instance, require Lysine for growth. However, the amount of lysine is limited in cereals-based diets they consume. This snail is rich in Lysine and can be a good replacement [27, 28] Lysine Histidine Arginine Aspartic Threonine Serin Glutamic Alanine Cystine Valine Methionine Proline Glycine S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 Isoleucine Leucine Tyrosine Phenylalanine Amino acid Fig(3) Amino acid analysis of the various samples of giant land snail (conc. in g/100g). Mineral Composition Table 2 shows mineral composition of various samples of giant land snail; potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were detected in elevated amounts in all the samples investigated. Although zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn) were relatively very low in contents, they were almost evenly distributed. Cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co) were not detected in any of the samples. Non-detection of Cd suggests that the snail species had not been exposed to any sort of pollution or contamination and is good for consumption. Calcium plays an important role in blood clotting in the human body. The high mean concentration (48.75 mg/100 g) of Ca found in all the samples shows that consumption of snail would increase the calcium level in the body and boost formation of strong bones [8]. The lower content of Ca in this report when compared to values obtained in other reports [8, 26] may be due to the variation in period of sampling. Magnesium is an essential mineral vital to many body functions including activating more than 300 enzymes and providing energy for almost all metabolic reactions and processes [29]. The mean concentration of Mg in the samples was mg/100 g, lower than value earlier reported [8]. It balances and controls K, Ca and Na. Lack of magnesium in humans causes irregular heartbeat, palpitations and reduced ability to detoxify. The mean potassium content was mg/100 g. The nutrient is critical for maintaining normal heartbeat. It assists in muscular contractions and in maintaining appropriate levels of fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells. Deficiency results in muscular weakness, fatigue, nervous system and heart deterioration. Table(2) Mineral composition of the snail samples, wet weight (mg/100 g) SN K Ca Mn Fe Mg Cu Ni Pb Zn (1 8 = March October) Iron (Fe) is an important element needed in the body as it forms part of haemoglobin which allows oxygen to be carried from the lungs to the tissues. Fe in meat not only enhances absorption of iron from other sources but also increases absorption of iron in the body [14]. The mean concentration of Fe in the snail samples was mg/100 g, and its content could be contributed by the geology of the snail s habitat. Manganese (Mn) which is an essential element for both animals and plants measured a mean concentration of mg/100 g in the samples. Deficiency of Mn results in severe skeletal and reproductive abnormalities in mammals [24]. Copper (Cu) also forms an integral part of several enzymes and it is necessary for the synthesis of haemoglobin [24]. It had a mean concentration of mg/100 g in the samples. Zinc (Zn) which is also an essential trace metal for both animals and human and measured a mean concentration of mg/100 g. Deficiency of Zn is marked by retarded growth, loss of taste and hypogonadism, leading to decreased fertility [24]. The levels of Cu and Zn in the samples, apart from natural sources, might also have emanated from the input of fertilizers. The major source of nickel (Ni) for human is food and uptake from natural sources, as well as food processing. Its mean concentration in the samples was mg/100 g. The shales underlying the habitat of the snail samples might have influenced this trend. The snail samples studied are therefore good sources of magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron, and consumption of the

4 14 snail could contribute to general increase in these essential nutrients in the body. CONCLUSION Proximate and mineral composition were conducted to assess nutritional value of a species of the giant land snail. The snail is rich in protein and moisture. Amino acid profile showed that it contains essential amino acids which are not produced in the body. Some essential minerals analysed were also present in good quantities. From our results, the snail could serve a good source of essential nutrients needed in the body for optimum functioning. Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the Head Department of Environmental Science, Cyprus International University for the privilege granted for use of his research laboratory for part of this study. References [1] Kalio, G., Etela, I. Nutritional and sensory profiling of the African giant land snail fed commercial-type and leaf-based diets in a rainforest ecology. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development 2011, 11, [2] Fagbuaro, O., Oso, J.A., Edward, J.B., Ogunleye, R.F. Nutritional status of four species of giant land snails in Nigeria. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2006, 7, [3] Barwa, E. Increasing household protein consumption through minilivestock production in Nigeria. Information Manager (The) 2009, 9. [4] Oluwaniyi, O.O., Dosumu, O.O., Awolola, G.V. Effect of local processing methods (boiling, frying and roasting) on the amino acid composition of four marine fishes commonly consumed in Nigeria. Food Chem. 2010, 123, [5] Ademolu, K., Idowu, A., Mafiana, C., Osinowo, O. Performance, proximate and mineral analyses of African giant land snail (Archachatina marginata) fed different nitrogen sources. African Journal of Biotechnology 2004, 3, [6] Tettey, E., Osei-Yaw, A., Hodari-Okae, M. Studies on the quality of traditionally smoked-dry snail meat (Achatina achatina) in Ghana [7] Jatto, O., Asia, I., Medjor, W. Proximate and mineral composition of different species of snail shell. PJTS 2010, 11, [8] Babalola, O., Akinsoyinu, A. Proximate composition and mineral profile of snail meat from different breeds of land snail in Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 2009, 8, [9] Zarai, Z., Frikha, F., Balti, R., Miled, N., Gargouri, Y., Mejdoub, H. Nutrient composition of the marine snail (Hexaplex trunculus) from the Tunisian Mediterranean coasts. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2011, 91, [10] Imevbore, E., Ademosun, A. nutritive value of the African giant land snail, Archachatina calachatina marginata. Journal of animal production research [11] Wosu, I., Commercial snail farming in West Africa: A guide, Ap Express Publishers Ltd, Nsukka, [12] Adeyeye, E., Afolabi, E. Amino acid composition of three Edidiong A. Essien et.al different types of land snails consumed in Nigeria. Food Chem. 2004, 85, [13] Orisawuyi, Y. Practices guide to snails rearing. Gratitude Enterprises, Lagos 1989, 27. [14] Bender, A.E., Meat and meat products in human nutrition in developing countries, FAO Rome1992. [15] Leaf, A., Kang, J., Xiao, Y., Billman, G., Voskuyl, R. The antiarrhythmic and anticonvulsant effects of dietary N-3 fatty acids. The Journal of membrane biology 1999, 172, [16] Adeyeye, E.I. Waste yield, proximate and mineral composition of three different types of land snails found in Nigeria. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 1996, 47, [17] Helrich, K., Official methods of Analysis of the AOAC. Volume 2, Association of Official Analytical Chemists Inc [18] Milinsk, M.C., Padre, R.d.G., Hayashi, C., de Oliveira, C.C., Visentainer, J.V., de Souza, N.E., Matsushita, M. Effects of feed protein and lipid contents on fatty acid profile of snail (Helix aspersa maxima) meat. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2006, 19, [19] Persson, J.-Å., Handbook for Kjeldahl digestion: a recent review of the classical method with improvements developed by Foss, Foss2008. [20] Bligh, E.G., Dyer, W.J. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Canadian journal of biochemistry and physiology 1959, 37, [21] Raksakantong, P., Meeso, N., Kubola, J., Siriamornpun, S. Fatty acids and proximate composition of eight Thai edible terricolous insects. Food Research International 2010, 43, [22] Zhou, J., Han, D. Proximate, amino acid and mineral composition of pupae of the silkworm Antheraea pernyi in China. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2006, 19, [23] Zlatanos, S., Laskaridis, K., Feist, C., Sagredos, A. Proximate composition, fatty acid analysis and protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score of three Mediterranean cephalopods. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 2006, 50, [24] Sivaperumal, P., Sankar, T., Nair, P.V. Heavy metal concentrations in fish, shellfish and fish products from internal markets of India vis-a-vis international standards. Food Chem. 2007, 102, [25] Rangarajan, R., Ghosh, P., Naggs, F. Seasonal variability of rainfall recorded in growth bands of the Giant African Land Snail Lissachatina fulica (Bowdich) from India. Chem. Geol. 2013, 357, [26] Eneji, C., Ogogo, A., Emmanuel-Ikpeme, C., Okon, O. Nutritional Assessment of Some Nigerian Land and Water Snail Species. Ethiopian journal of Environmental studies and management 2008, 1, [27] Khalil, I.A., Khan, S. Protein quality of Asian beans and their wild progenitor, Vigna sublobata (Roxb). Food Chem. 1995, 52, [28] Kim, J.-D., Lall, S.P. Amino acid composition of whole body tissue of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), yellowtail flounder (Pleuronectes ferruginea) and Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Aquaculture 2000, 187, [29] Ihekoronye, A.I., Ngoddy, P.O., Integrated food science and technology for the tropics, Macmillan1985.

5 African Journal of Science and Research, 2016,(5)3: Fatty acid composition Table(1) Fatty acid composition (%) Carbon atoms Fatty Acids S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 C12 C14 C14:1 C16:0 C16:1 C18:0 C18:2 C20:0 C18:3 C20:2 C22:0 C20:3 C22:2 C24:0 C20:5 C24:1 C22:6 Lauric Myristic Palmitic Palmitic Palmitoleic Oleic Oleic Ricinoleic Vaccenic Linoleic Arachidic GLA Gadoleic Behenic Erucic Behenic Lignoceric EPA Pentacosylic DHA GLA Gamma-Linolenic Acid, EPA Eicosapentaenoic Acid, DHA Docosahexaenoic Acid