Analysis of proximate composition
At the end of feeding trial, snails from each treatment were analyzed for proximate
composition (protein, lipid, carbohydrate, ash, moisture, and total energy), fatty acid and
amino acid composition to determine whether food types influenced the nutritional quality
of B. aeolata flesh. Shell and opercula were removed from all samples before analysis of
the whole wet flesh, and they were combined and ground using a mortar and pestle and
then split into three replicate samples and weighed for analysis of amino acid and fatty acid
compositions using the standard methods of AOAC (1990).