Mineral composition of giant African land snail’s (<i>Archachatina marginata</i>) shells from six south West States, Nigeria

Abstract

The giant African land snails (GALS) have protective shell, which supports and prevents dehydration of the animal. These functions are affected by the chemical composition of the shell. This study examined the chemical composition of shells of giant African land snail, Archachatina marginata, collected from six south western states of Nigeria. Snails were collected from three locations in each state, making a total of eighteen locations across the states. Magnesium, calcium, iron sodium, potassium, chloride and phosphorus concentrations were determined in the shells by standard analytical methods and data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Calcium was the most abundant mineral element in snail shell (1618.89 mg/100g) while chloride was the least (6.37 mg/100g). Ondo state recorded the highest total mineral concentration in the shell (780.0 mg/100g) (though not significantly different from Ekiti state) and Lagos state had the least concentration (745.6 mg/100g). The relationship between these results and environmental factors are discussed.

Keywords: Shell, snails, mineral elements, Archachatina marginata, southwest, Nigeria