Improvement of the reproduction and gonado-somatic index of Archachatina marginata with a medicinal plant (Thymus vulgaris) in the Equatorial Zone of Cameroon

A study was carried out to assess the reproduction and gonado-somatic index of Archachatina marginata with a medicinal plant (Thymus vulgaris). Three hundred adult snails were randomly partitioned into four treatments and six replicates of 15 comparable snails. The Treatment T0 (control) received only the experimental diet. The other treatments (T0.25, T0.5, and T0.75) received, in addition to the experimental diet, Thymus vulgaris powder at 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75% respectively. The results showed that the lowest value of egg weight (1.33 0.66) was registered in animals receiving 0.5% of Thymus vulgaris in the diet compared to other treatments. In contrast, the lowest value of egg length (14.68 1.14) was recorded in the control group. The lowest (16.25 0.00) number of clutches per treatment was registered in animals that received 0.5% of thymus vulgaris in the diet compared to the control group and other treatments. The hatching and fertilization rate values increase with increasing Thymus vulgaris in the diet, while the reverse was observed for the mortality rate. The highest value of gonadosomatic index (0.020.00) is recorded in animals receiving the highest level of thymus vulgaris (T0.75) in the diet, followed by animal in the control group (T0). The total protein and triglyceride increase significantly (p<0.05) with increasing Thymus vulgaris in the treatment that is receiving Thymus vulgaris in the diet. Contrarily, the total cholesterol decreases significantly (p<0.05) with increasing level of Thymus vulgaris in the diet. In conclusion, Thymus vulgaris at 0.75% can be used in the diet of breeding snails.