Aiming to evaluate the use of different vegetable oil sources on performance and carcass characteristics of “gros gris” (Helix aspersa maxima) diets, two hundred forty snails with initial average weight of 0.11g samples were distributed in an entirely randomized design with six treatments and four replications in twelve-liter aquaria. The diets were formulated to have differences on soybean, canola, sunflower, linseed, rice and corn oil inclusion at 3% of the diet. The average final weight, feed conversion, protein efficiency rate, carcass yields, percentage of shell and survival rates were not affected (p>0.01) by the use of different oils. The moisture, ash, crud protein and fat contents and the polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids (PUAF/SAF) relation of the comestible part of the animal that were fed with different diets was not affected (p>0.05). Therefore, the animals that received diets with linseed oil showed the best w6/ w3 relation than that one fed with diets with sunflower and corn oils. No differences were observed (p>0.05) in the shell moisture and ash contents of the animals fed with the different diets. By other hand the animals fed with linseed oil had lower shell crud protein contents in relation to the ones fed diets with soybean oil. It was concluded that all the oils can be used on Helix aspersa maxima diets in growth phase; however, the linseed oil promotes better w6/w3 relation than the sunflower and corn oils in the comestible part f this animal.
escargot; heliciculture; Helix aspersa; snail; vegetable oils
