Nutritive Value of Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata) as Animal and Aquaculture Feed

Abstract

Feed is a crucial input for terrestrial animal and aquaculture production, but these sectors face the same feed availability and sustainability challenges. Despite their reputation as rice pests, causing economic loss in agriculture, golden apple snails could be used as an alternative animal feed. This study reviews the nutritional value, including bioactive compounds, constraints, and future utilization of golden apple snails as animal and aquaculture feed. An integrative literature review was conducted on data retrieved from publications available on Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and official websites. The golden apple snail is rich in protein in their meat and calcium in the shell, representing 39.11 to 68.67% and 41.38% (dry matter basis), respectively. The inclusion of golden apple snails in the diet resulted in good growth performance in monogastric animals and fish due to their nutritive value. Golden apple snails may be available as feed resources, supplied from the wilds and heliciculture. The astaxanthin of the eggs of golden apple snails and chitosan derived from their shell are interesting due to their bioactivities, thereby opening new avenues for future research in functional feed additives.