Justifying the use of the bluish liquid from the African giant snail (Achatina marginata) in traditional male circumcision surgery in Western Nigeria

Abstract

In contemporary African tradition, the male child is circumcised. One of the requirements for successfully carrying out this surgical feat by the traditional birth attendants in the western part of Nigeria is to immediately bath the exposed penis surface with the fresh bluish liquid from the African giant snail (Achatina marginata). This study screened the bluish liquid for anti-bacteria/anti-fungi activities and examined it for coagulatory effect. The coagulatory effect was assessed through the Prothrombin time (PT) of three categories of people, (a) normal persons, (b) patients on warfarin, (c) hemophilic patients, and compared with the PT of calcified tissue thromboplastin (reference) on the same people. The anti-bacterial/anti-fungal effects were studied using three bacteria and three fungi grown on nutrient agar; the inhibitory effect of the bluish liquid on their growth was compared with that of standard antibacterial (gentamicin) and antifungal (clotrimazole) drugs. The studies were carried out using the two known varieties of A. marginata (suturalis and ovum) in order to establish any variation in their effectiveness. Anti-bacterial or anti-fungal property was not exhibited by the bluish liquid, but a stronger (than the reference) coagulatory effect which was also effective on hemophilic blood was revealed in the bluish liquid from the two snail varieties. A. marginata ovum showed higher potency over the suturalis variety. Elemental analysis of the bluish liquid from the two snail varieties carried out showed three elements (calcium, magnesium and zinc) in relatively large amount when compared with other detected elements. The result on the prothrombin time justified the use of the snail bluish liquid as a strong blood coagulant while the elemental results supported the observed higher potency of the ovum snail variety over the suturalis variety. The result also suggests that the hemophiliacs can benefit from this liquid.