Amino Acid Profile and Mineral Content of Cultivated Snails and : Assessing Their Potential as Nutritional Source.

This study evaluates the nutritional potential of two cultivated snail species, and , sourced from commercial farms in Korea, marking the first comprehensive analysis of . The protein content of (70.9 g/100 g dry matter) was significantly higher than that of (44.2 g/100 g dry matter). Similar trends were observed for ash content (6.3 vs. 4.9 g/100 g dry matter) and crude fiber (2.9 vs. 0.4 g/100 g dry matter). Reflecting the higher protein content, contained elevated levels of most amino acids compared to . Glutamic acid was the most abundant amino acid, with leucine and lysine being the predominant essential amino acids in both species. The total amino acid content was 57.6 g/100 g dry matter for and 40.4 g/100 g for . Mineral analysis revealed significantly higher concentrations of minerals in , except calcium and magnesium. Notably, provided over 100% of the RDA/AI for calcium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese and met 94.5% of the iron RDA for women. These results emphasize the potential of as a valuable dietary source for addressing protein and mineral deficiencies, particularly in nutrient-poor diets.