The study was aimed at determining the effects of diets containing snail meat as the sole protein source, on mandible quality in male Wistar rats. In the experiment, three different snail-based diets were tested and compared with a casein-based control diet. These included snail meat from Helix pomatia, Cornu aspersum maxima and Cornu aspersum aspersum. In all diets, the protein content amounted to 10% (as calculated on a dry weight basis). Forty male Wistar rats with an initial body mass of 50 g ± 2 were randomly allocated to one control and three experimental groups. After 28 days of experimental feeding, the rats were sacrificed. Their mandibles were isolated and investigated by densitometric (DXA), tomographic (pQCT) and morphometric methods. Moreover, the mechanical parameters (ultimate strength and Young’s modulus) of the mandibles were measured. The results revealed that snail meat as the sole source of protein significantly decreased the bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) of the mandibles. Moreover, the tomographic analysis demonstrated that each type of snail-based diet had a negative influence on the bone cortical and trabecular compartments (which was especially noticeable in the decreasing pQCT parameters). The investigation of mechanical resistance of the mandibles also revealed lower values of the ultimate strength and Young’s modulus in the snail-based diet groups, compared with the casein group.
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