| Summary: | Pomacea canaliculata is a type of freshwater snail that has become a major pest in paddy fields, as it feeds on young paddy leaves and stems, thus, posing a serious threat to paddy production. It was named one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species, with serious consequences for the environment, human health, and the social economy. Their hatchability rate is high, which explains their global distribution worldwide. Therefore, it is vital to manage their hatchability to prevent their population from expanding further by understanding the protection that permits the eggs to survive. P. canaliculata eggs are covered with a thin layer of cuticle that is rich in protein to protect the embryo during the hatching process. The biological treatment with protease enzyme successfully hydrolysed the protein cuticle layer, lowering the percentage of hatchability. Disruption of the protein cuticle may have an impact on conductivity, water loss, hatching time, protein content, and other factors. However, documentation of the protease effect on the protein cuticle is scarce. Therefore, the goal of this study is to evaluate the protease treatment on the protein cuticle of P. canaliculata eggs physically (conductivity, water loss, and morphological analysis) and chemically (cuticle protein content, protein breakdown, and amino acid profile). Physical characterisation revealed that protease-treated eggs have higher conductivity and water loss than the control egg. Images taken with a light microscope (LM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed changes in cuticle structure, which explained the protease-induced cuticle hydrolysis. Chemical characterisation revealed a decrease in cuticle protein content, hydrolysis of protein to a small size, and changes in amino acid composition. The physical and chemical analyses strongly suggested that protease can damage the cuticle protein, thus, preventing the eggs from hatching. © (2024) International Islamic University Malaysia-IIUM.
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