Fatty acid profile and mineral content of the wild snail (Helix pomatia) from the region of the south of the Turkey

Nutritional Composition and Safety Aspects of Deep-Sea Whelks (Buccinum tenuissimum Kuroda)

The deep-sea whelk Buccinum tenuissimum Kuroda is highly sought-after as food in East Asian countries, notably, Korea and Japan. However, it lacks official recognition as a food product in Korea. This study aimed to assess its nutritional composition and safety for the potential development of seafood products. The nutritional analysis revealed high protein (13.54-20.47 g/100 g whelk), fat (0.85-8.59 g/100 g whelk), carbohydrate (1.55-12.81 g/100 g whelk), and dietary fiber (1.25-1.95 g/100 g whelk) contents in both muscle and gut samples, with energy contents ranging from 339.11 ± 1.64 to 692.00 ± 3.21 kJ/100 g. Key minerals, including iron, potassium, calcium, and sodium, and essential fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids, were abundant, making it a potential supplementary food. Notably, heavy metal levels met the Korean standards for seafood safety. No trans fats, radioactivity concerning the radioactive isotopes 134Cs/137Cs and 131I, or pathogenic bacteria were detected. This confirms the safety and nutritional value of deep-sea whelks, suggesting their potential for developing seafood products rich in beneficial components, which could enhance nutrition and food security while contributing to economic growth.

Eobania vermiculata whole-body muscle extract-loaded chitosan nanoparticles enhanced skin regeneration and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines in vivo

BACKGROUND

Usually, wounds recover in four to six weeks. Wounds that take longer time than this to heal are referred to as chronic wounds. Impaired healing can be caused by several circumstances like hypoxia, microbial colonization, deficiency of blood flow, reperfusion damage, abnormal cellular reaction and deficiencies in collagen production. Treatment of wounds can be enhanced through systemic injection of the antibacterial drugs and/or other topical applications of medications. However, there are a number of disadvantages to these techniques, including the limited or insufficient medication penetration into the underlying skin tissue and the development of bacterial resistance with repeated antibiotic treatment. One of the more recent treatment options may involve using nanotherapeutics in combination with naturally occurring biological components, such as snail extracts (SE). In this investigation, chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) were loaded with an Eobania vermiculata whole-body muscle extract. The safety of the synthesized NPs was investigated in vitro to determine if these NPs might be utilized to treat full-skin induced wounds in vivo.

RESULTS

SEM and TEM images showed uniformly distributed, spherical, smooth prepared CS NPs and snail extract-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (SE-CS NPs) with size ranges of 76-81 and 91-95 nm, respectively. The zeta potential of the synthesized SE-CS NPs was - 24.5 mV, while that of the CS NPs was 25 mV. SE-CS NPs showed a remarkable, in vitro, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Successfully, SE-CS NPs (50 mg/kg) reduced the oxidative stress marker (malondialdehyde), reduced inflammation, increased the levels of the antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione), and assisted the healing of induced wounds. SE-CS NPs (50 mg/kg) can be recommended to treat induced wounds safely. SE was composed of a collection of several wound healing bioactive components [fatty acids, amino acids, minerals and vitamins) that were loaded on CS NPs.

CONCLUSIONS

The nanostructure enabled bioactive SE components to pass through cell membranes and exhibit their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, accelerating the healing process of wounds. Finally, it is advised to treat rats' wounds with SE-CS NPs.

Nutritional Composition, Fatty Acids Profile, Mineral Content, Antioxidant Activity and Acute Toxicity of the Flesh of Helix aspesra Müller

Humans consume snail flesh as part of their diet. To assess its nutritional value and toxicity, chemical analyses were conducted to confirm the presence of protein, total and reduced carbohydrates, fat, fatty acid composition and mineral components. Furthermore, an acute toxicity study was carried out to determine the safety of Helix aspersa Müller snail flesh. H. aspersa Müller snail flesh exhibits a high nutritional content, a good ω3/ω6 ratio and higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids. Various minerals have been found in the flesh of H. aspersa Müller. Around 76.91 kcal, or 3.84% of the energy of a daily meal of 2000 kcal, are present in 100 g of this flesh. The evaluation of the antioxidant capacity indicated that the flesh's extracts contained a large quantity of antioxidant biomolecules. Administration of the aqueous extract of H. aspersa Müller flesh didn't cause death in laboratory rats, indicating that the lethal dose 50 is greater than 2000 mg·kg-1 body weight. The consumption of the flesh of H. aspersa Müller is highly recommended for human consumption due to its high concentration of nutrients and essential elements, as well as unsaturated fats, and due to its safety.

Nutritional profile of the land snail Cyclophorus saturnus, a rich-in-nutrients food item from Thailand

Cyclophorus saturnus is an edible land snail traditionally harvested for human food, yet little is known about its nutritional value, especially in Thailand. This study aimed to investigate its nutritional potential as an alternative food resource. In the present study, proximate composition, essential mineral content, amino acid, and lipid profiles of the meat were evaluated. Proximate analysis showed that C. saturnus contained 80.04% moisture, 11.88% protein, 6.04% carbohydrate, and 0.93% fat, with 80.01 kcal/100 g fresh matter. For minerals, calcium was the most abundant element in the meat. Its protein contained glutamic and aspartic as the major amino acids, while it was not a good source of tryptophan and methionine but was considered a very rich source of other essential amino acids (amino acid scores greater than 100). Its lipid fraction showed a higher proportion of mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFA and PUFA, 67.69%) and a lower proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (32.31%). The PUFA/SFA ratio (1.56), hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH; 5.58), atherogenicity index (AI; 0.48), and thrombogenicity index (TI; 0.20) are considered nutritionally healthy for humans. Overall, this study demonstrates the nutritional potential of C. saturnus to serve as a nutritious part of the human diet and as an alternative ingredient in food systems; therefore, its production and consumption should be more extensively promoted.

Toxic and Potentially Toxic Mineral Elements of Edible Gastropods Land Snails (Mediterranean Escargot)

The meat of snails can be considered a high-quality food for the human diet and demand is already increasing across Europe. Due to the bioaccumulation of trace elements in their tissues, land snails can be a significant tool also for environmental pollution evaluation. In this study, 28 mineral elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Na, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, V, Zn) in both the edible part and the shell of edible land snails commercially available in Southern Italy belonging to Cernuella virgata, Helix aperta, Theba pisana species were investigated by ICP-MS and direct mercury analyser. The concentration of trace elements was variable among the samples. The variability demonstrates the close connection among the type of snail, the geographical origin, and the habitat in which the species grows. The edible part of the snails analysed in this study was found to be a good source of macro-nutrients. Toxic elements were detected in some samples, especially in shells; nevertheless, the values fell within the safety limits. Further investigations and monitoring of mineral contents in edible land snails are suggested both for human health and environmental pollution evaluation.

Edible Snail Production in Europe

Simple Summary

Edible snails are a good source of easily digestible nutrients. They are easy to breed and their farming is more environmentally friendly than traditional livestock: they need little space, use less feed per kg of growth, and emit significantly less greenhouse gases. This review aims to present the most important issues related to the breeding of edible snails in European conditions: their importance, maintaining systems, the value of meat and caviar, and the feed used during the animals’ rearing and fattening period.

Abstract

The human population is growing; food production is becoming insufficient, and the growing awareness of the negative impact of traditional animal husbandry on the environment means that the search for alternative methods of providing animal protein is continuously underway. The breeding of edible snails seems to be a promising option. The most popular species of edible snails in Europe include the brown garden snail Cornu aspersum (Müller, 1774) (previously divided into two subspecies: Cornu aspersum aspersum (Müller, 1774) and Cornu aspersum maxima (Taylor, 1883)), as well as the Roman Snail—Helix pomatia Linnaeus, 1758. These animals are highly productive, require relatively little space, are easy to breed and their maintenance does not require large financial outlays. This review focuses on the prospects of food snail farming in Europe. It discusses the living conditions, the nutritional value of the snails’ meat, and the way of feeding the animals, paying particular attention to issues still not scientifically resolved, such as the need for micro and macro elements, as well as fat and carbohydrates.

Analysis of the Fatty Acid Profile of the Tissues of Hunted Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.) from Poland

The aim of the study was to analyse the fatty acid profile of selected tissues of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.), in relation to where they were obtained and their sex, with regard to the human diet. The study was carried out on material obtained from mallard ducks from two study areas: the Siedlce hunting district and the Leszno hunting district. The research material was the breast and leg muscles of 28 mallards. The samples were frozen and stored at −20 °C. The fatty acid profiles in the biological samples were determined by selected ion recording (SIR). The results showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower average levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and significantly higher (p < 0.05) average levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), n-6 PUFAs, and n-3 PUFAs in the breast muscles of the mallards obtained in the Siedlce hunting district. This in conjunction with the higher (p < 0.05) hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic index (h/H) in the leg muscles and lower (p < 0.05) atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (AI and TI) in the leg and breast muscles of mallards in the Siedlce hunting district indicate the higher health-promoting value of the meat of ducks from this region. The average n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the breast muscles was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in mallards obtained in the Leszno hunting district. Males of the species had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher average n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the breast muscles than females. The PUFA/SFA ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the leg muscles of the female mallards than in the males.

Mineral and proximate composition of the meat and shell of three snail species

Meat is a vital source of nutrients for human wellbeing and health; however, recent studies suggest a decline in meat preference as a protein source due to some health problems associated with meat intake. This study evaluates the levels of essential elements (Mn, Mg, P, Ca, K, Cu, Na, Zn and Fe) and proximate composition (protein, fat, moisture, carbohydrate, fibre and ash) of three snail species namely; Achatina achatina, Achatina fulica and Archachatina marginata species from the Kumasi Central Market. The mineral content and proximate composition of the three land snail species' shell and meat were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and other Standard Methods of Analysis. The study revealed that the three snail species differed in the composition of significant nutrients and trace elements in meat. It is evident from this study that the consumption of snail meat can promote good human health, with Archachatina marginata having the best nutritional value. In the meat from the three snail species, a strong significant positive correlation between Ca and P levels was observed, and the Cu and Fe (p < 0.05). In both the proximate and mineral analysis, each meat parameter was correspondingly higher than that of the shell for all the snail species, except for ash and Ca contents. The estimated daily intakes of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu were lower compared with the tolerable daily intake, suggesting that the essential elements are at acceptable levels. Therefore, consumers of these land snails will gain the benefits of the proximate and mineral constituents. The shells can also be utilised as food supplements for livestock and eliminate the burden of managing snail shell waste.

Impact of Ag Nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Multimicrobial Preparation (EM) on the Carcass, Mineral, and Fatty Acid Composition of Cornu aspersum aspersum Snails

The hygienic practices on farms should reduce pathogenic microorganisms while simultaneously not harming the animals themselves; they must also not degrade the products' quality. We assessed the effect of covering feed tables with paint containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and the periodic spraying of effective microorganisms (EM) on production indicators and basic chemical composition, mineral content and fatty acid profiles in the bodies of Cornu aspersum aspersum snails. The animals were divided into four groups: (1) control, (2) with feed tables covered with AgNPs paint, (3) with EM spray applied and (4) with both factors-AgNP paint and EM spray. The highest increase in Ag, Zn, Fe and Ca retention, and the remodelling of the fatty acid profile in the carcasses of snails was found to be in the group of animals in contact with the feed tables covered with AgNP paint. In the group of animals exposed to the action of EM, an increased retention of Fe, Cu, P, Mg and Zn was found.

Simultaneous quantification of the lipids phosphatidylcholine, 3-sn-phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, and L-α-lysophosphatidylcholine extracted from the tissues of the invasive golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS

Lipids such as phosphatidylcholine (PC), 3-sn-phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), sphingomyelin (SM) and L-α-lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) are the major components of biological membranes and play important roles in physiological functions. Here, PC, PE, SM, and LPC were extracted from golden apple snails (GAS, Pomacea canaliculata) and GAS flesh (GASF) using an ethanol/hexane sequential scheme and quantified simultaneously using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) to evaluate whether the GAS could be the source of the four lipids. Our results suggest that ethanol extracts contained the most crude lipids, and the yield of dry (evaporated) lipids were 3.45 g per 100 g fresh GASF and 1.82 g per 100 g of fresh GAS. Quantification of the lipids using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS suggested that GAS contained PE, PC, SM and LPC, with SM being the most abundant lipid (after purification: 1.71 and 1.42 mg g^-1 dry weight from 100 g of GASF and GAS, respectively). The method we used is cost-effective, and the recovery rates of ethanol and hexane ranged from 80-91% and 87-91% respectively. Overall, GAS and GASF are potential raw materials for lipids such as SM and PC extraction using the ethanol/hexane method. Comparatively, lipids extraction from the GAS is more effective and timesaving. Our finding would provide a way to utilize GAS and potentially control its invasion.

Land Snails as a Valuable Source of Fatty Acids: A Multivariate Statistical Approach

The fatty acid (FA) profile of wild Theba pisana, Cornu aspersum, and Eobania vermiculata land snail samples, collected in Sicily (Southern Italy), before and after heat treatment at +100 °C were examined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The results show a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in all of the examined raw snails samples, representing up to 48.10% of the total fatty acids contents, followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). The thermal processing of the snail samples examined determined an overall reduction of PUFA levels (8.13%, 7.75%, and 4.62% for T. pisana, C. aspersum and E. vermiculata samples, respectively) and a species-specific variation of saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents. Oleic acid remained the most abundant FA of all of the snails species examined, accounting for up to 29.95% of the total FA content. A relevant decrease of ɷ3/ɷ6 ratio was found only for T. pisana samples. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed a separation of the snail samples in terms of species and heat treatment. The results of this work suggest land snails as a valuable source of MUFA and PUFA contents and boiling as appropriate treatment, according to the maintenance of healthy properties.

Fatty Acid Profile in Fat Obtained from Edible Part of Land Snails Harvested in Poland

Introduction

The objective was to determine the content of fatty acids in edible snail fat by snail species, collection site, and processing stage.

Material and Methods

The research material comprised 180 edible fat samples from the three genera of edible snails collected in Poland: free-living Helix pomatia (HP) and two cultivated Cornu subspecies: C. aspersa maxima (CAM) and C. aspersum aspersum (CAA). All snails came from the Greater Poland and Lower Silesian Provinces: HP from their natural habitat and CAM and CAA from heliciculture farms. The studies focused on the raw meat, cooked meat, and frozen meat processing stages. Fatty acid (FA) profiles were determined by the gas chromatography method.

Results

Helix pomatia fat showed a higher saturated fatty acid (SFA) content, whereas the fat of Cornu genus snails had a higher unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) component, i.e. monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Thermal processing of snail meat increased all the determined SFA and decreased all the PUFA values, and increased the content of C18:1, C20:1, and C22:1 acids in the MUFA group. The material collection site had limited impact on FA content as differences were noted only in levels of C18:1, C18:2 n6, and C20:5. The differences pertained only to the fat of farmed snails of the Cornu genus.

Conclusion

Due to the high content of UFA and a favourable ratio of n6:n3 acids and PUFA:SFA, snail fat can be regarded as nutritionally valuable.

Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of marine snail Rapana venosa meat, visceral mass and operculum

BACKGROUND

Rapana venosa (Rv), an important marine snail, demonstrates an increasing nutritional and economic importance. However, there is still limited information available on their nutritional composition. The present study highlights and provides new information on the proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of different body parts of Rv, aiming for its better application and research.

RESULTS

The operculum contained a high amount of protein and flavor amino acids. The edible tissues, including meat and visceral mass, were valuable sources of essential amino acids (EAA) apart from methionine and cysteine. In addition, the meat contained high amount of taurine. Fatty acid analysis indicated that the edible tissues contained high amounts of ω3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6ω3), and had a low ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio. Interestingly, significantly higher concentrations of most nutritional elements such as fat, EAA, EPA and DHA, were found in the visceral mass compared to those in the meat.

CONCLUSION

The operculum of Rv may became a very interesting source for some protein and flavor peptide development, and the edible parts of Rv may be utilized for special dietary applications requiring high amounts of taurine, EPA, DHA and a lower ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigation of nutritional properties of three species of marine turban snails for human consumption

Turban snails (family Turbinidae) are gastropod molluscs that are harvested for human consumption yet little is known about the nutritional properties of these snails, particularly from Australian waters. This study compares the proximate composition (ash, moisture, protein, and lipid content), fatty acid profiles, mineral, and trace element content of three species of turbinid snails; Turbo militaris, Lunella undulata, and Lunella torquata from northern New South Wales, Australia. They were all found to have relatively high protein in their flesh (16.0% to 18.5% of the fresh weight). L. torquata had a significantly higher lipid content (8.5% w/w) than L. undulata (5.2% w/w), whereas T. militaris (5.6% w/w) was not significantly different to either. Analysis with gas chromatography showed there was no significant difference in monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content, with an average of approximately 14% of the total fatty acids in all three species. However, saturated fatty acids (SFA) were significantly higher in T. militaris (41%), whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were significantly higher in L. undulata (46%). The ratio of n-3/n-6 fatty acids ranged from 1.1 in T. militaris to 1.4 in L. torquata, which is good for human health and comparable to other high value gastropods. The results indicate that T. militaris, L. undulata, and L. torquata provide a good source of essential elements such as zinc, selenium, and iron. At the location studied, toxic metals and metalloids were below safe recommended standards for human consumption. Overall, this study confirms the suitability of turban snails as a nutritional food for human consumption.