The present investigation has been performed to study the effect of different food items and starvation on some biological
parameters and laboratory maintenance of B. alexandrina snail, the intermediate host of S. mansoni in Egypt. The growth rate, egg laying capacity, hatchability of deposited eggs, development of the newly hatched snails and the mortality rate of the experimental snails were quantitatively determined and compared with the control ones fed on dried lettuce. The tested experimental food items are, a market prepared food (the rabbit food pellets); a natural food source from the
common aquatic plants (Eichhornia carassipes, Lemna gibba and Ceratophyllum demersttm) and a mixed food (dry lettuce supplemented with milk powder). The biochemical composition of the three food items and control food were analyzed. The results showed that snails fed on  market food for a period of six weeks showed a significant increase in
the number of egg masses and eggs, the rate of the egg hatchability and in the rate of growth. Moreover, market food was found a suitable food for maintenance of newly hatched as well as adult snails as indicated by low mortality rate. The results also showed that hermaphrodite gland acini of snails fed on market food were most frequently in the final stages of oogenesis and spermatogenegsis, and their digestive gland tubules were well organized. The wet weight of
the digestive gland gonad complex was significantly increased than that of the control and other tested food items. In conclusion, the market food was recommended as the food for stock aquaria.