ABSTRACT
Digestive enzyme activity of the gut region of two freshwater snails (Pila africana and Lanistes lybicus) was studied in the Laboratory. Snails were thoroughly cleaned, the digestive tract regions were exposed and dissected. They were homogenized and used for enzyme activity. The studied enzymes (amylase, α-glucosidase, protease and lipase) were discovered in different regions of the gut (stomach, crop, digestive gland and midgut). All the gut regions of Pila africana had higher enzyme activities than that of Lanistes lybicus except mid-gut of Lanistes lybicus which had higher amylase activities (26.41μ/mL) than that of Pila africana (16.83 μ/mL). Enzyme activities in the gut regions of the two water snails showed that Pila africana had the highest enzyme yield.
Stomach had the highest amylase activity in both water snails while crop recorded the highest activity of in the other three enzymes (lipase, proteinase and α-glucosidase). The study has revealed that gut regions of water snails are endowed with different digestive enzymes necessary for hydrolyzing its foods.
Keyword: gut region, Pila africana, Lanistes lybicus, enzyme activities, water snail
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