Enhancing Giant African Land Snail (Archachatina marginata) production with Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae) in the south-west region of Cameroon

Abstract

The study was designed to determine the effect of Thymus vulgaris leaf meal on the production of Archachatina marginata. Two hundred and twenty-four adults’ snails were divided into four treatments of 14 snails and four replicates. Treatment T0 received only the experimental diet while three other treatments received diet with different inclusion level of T. vulgaris leaf meal at 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75%. Feed and leave were quantified using an electronic weighing scale daily. The results obtained show that, feed intake was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in animals receiving 0.75% T. vulgaris compared to other treatments. Likewise, the values of heart, pedal mass were higher in animals receiving 0.25% inclusions of T. vulgaris in the diet. Low relative weight variations in the internal organs across treatments were observed but significant differences occurred regarding only the shell weight and ovotestis. The proximate analysis of snail flesh results obtains shows that dry matter was significantly (P < 0.05) highest in animals receiving 0.25% T. vulgaris in the diet. Minerals analyzed were also significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the inclusion of T. vulgaris in the diet. In conclusion, incorporation of T. vulgaris leaf powder at 0.25% can be recommended in the diet of snails.