Mineral status in camel milk: a critical review

Effect of nutritional supplements on the physico-structural and sensory characteristics of low-fat camel milk yogurt

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of various nutritional supplements on the physical, structural and sensory attributes of low-fat yogurt derived from camel milk, with the longer-term objective of enhancing its appeal and suitability for elderly consumers. Fresh camel milk was obtained from an Australian farm. Two yogurt variants were created: plain yogurt (CMY) and yogurt with added fructooligosaccharides, microbial transglutaminase (a ubiquitous food additive with potential health risks), apple pectin and linseed oil (CMYWA). The syneresis index of these yogurts was quantified through centrifugation, colour changes due to additives were assessed via colorimetric methods and both viscosity and granulometry were determined using precise instrumental techniques. After 7 d refrigerated storage, syneresis was 50% in CMY vs. 30% in CMYWA. Viscosity on day 7 was 205 mPa.s for CMYWA vs. 110 mPa.s for CMY. The CMYWA granule size increased from 2.1 μm on day 0 to 2.8 μm on day 14, while CMY granule size remained stable around 1.9 μm. Lactobacilli counts were higher in CMYWA at 2.8 × 107 CFU/g vs. 2.3 × 106 CFU/g in CMY. In a paired preference test with 37 consumers aged 18-65, CMYWA was significantly preferred over CMY. Sensory evaluations further substantiated that the yogurts with added supplements were more appealing to the palate. The results demonstrate the supplements improved camel milk yogurt properties.

Camel milk: Nutritional composition, therapeutic properties, and benefits for human health

Camel's milk is a widely consumed staple meal, especially in areas with dry and somewhat dry climates. Camel milk is rich in valuable ingredients, including lactoferrin and zinc, lactoactive peptides, and mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which support optimal health. These compounds have the potential to effectively treat various prominent human illnesses, such as tuberculosis, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, and jaundice. The composition of camel's milk is more varied than that of cow's milk. The composition of camel milk is primarily influenced by nutrition, breed, age, and lactation stage. The composition of camel's milk exhibits significant variation based on the geographical region and season. These whey proteins possess distinct physical, chemical, physiological, functional, and technological attributes that provide benefits in culinary uses and have high nutritional worth. Hydrolysis breaks down the proteins in camel's milk into bioactive peptides, which have physiological effects on the body's major organ systems. Camel milk, rich in essential fats, proteins, lactose, and minerals, positively impacts the treatment of diabetes, hepatitis C, and allergies and improves antioxidant enzyme levels in autistic children and tuberculosis patients. The review explores camel milk's therapeutic properties, nutritional composition, and implications for treating specific diseases and improving human healthcare.

Benefits of Camel Milk over Cow and Goat Milk for Infant and Adult Health in Fighting Chronic Diseases: A Review

The nutritional composition, antimicrobial properties, and health benefits of camel milk (CAM), cow milk (COM), and goat milk (GOM) have been extensively studied for their roles in managing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This review compares these milk types' nutritional and therapeutic properties, emphasizing their applications in chronic disease management. CAM is rich in insulin-like proteins, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that benefit glycemic control and cardiovascular health. It also exhibits potent antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering effects, which are crucial for managing diabetes and reducing CVD risk factors. While COM and GOM provide essential nutrients, their impact on metabolic health differs. GOM is known for its digestibility and antihypertensive properties, whereas COM's higher lactose content may be less suitable for diabetic patients. CAM's unique nutritional profile offers distinct therapeutic benefits, particularly for diabetes and CVD management. Further research is needed to clarify its mechanisms of action and optimize its clinical application for chronic disease prevention and management.

Detailed mineral profile of milk, whey, and cheese from cows, buffaloes, goats, ewes, and dromedary camels, and efficiency of recovery of minerals in their cheese

Milk and dairy products are important in the human diet not only for the macronutrients, such as proteins and fats, that they provide, but also for the supply of essential micronutrients, such as minerals. Minerals are present in milk in soluble form in the aqueous phase and in colloidal form associated with the macronutrients of the milk. These 2 forms affect the nutritional functions of the minerals and their contribution to the technological properties of milk during cheese making. The aim of the present work was to study and compare the detailed mineral profiles of dairy foods (milk, whey, and cheese) obtained from cows, buffaloes, goats, ewes and dromedary camels, and to analyze the recovery in the curd of the individual minerals according to a model cheese-making procedure applied to the milk of these 5 dairy species. The detailed mineral profile of the milk samples was obtained by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. We divided the 21 minerals identified in the 3 different matrices into essential macro- and microminerals, and environmental microminerals, and calculated the recovery of the individual minerals in the cheeses. The complete mineral profiles and the recoveries in the cheeses were then analyzed using a linear mixed model with Species, Food, and their interaction included as fixed effects, and Sample within Species as a random effect. The mineral profiles of each food matrix were then analyzed separately with a general linear model in which only the fixed effect of Species was included. The results showed that the species could be divided into 2 groups: those producing a more diluted milk characterized by a higher content of soluble minerals (in particular, K), and those with a more concentrated milk with a higher colloidal mineral content in the skim of the milk (such as Ca and P). The recoveries of the minerals in the curd were in line with the initial content in the milk, and also highlighted the fact that the influence of the brine was not limited to the Na content but to its whole mineral makeup. These results provide valuable information for the evaluation of the nutritional and technological properties of milk, and for the uses made of the byproducts of cheese making from the milk of different species.

Toxic metal levels in raw camel milk sold in the northern Algerian Sahara

The consumption of camel milk is gaining popularity in Algeria. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni) and Mercury (Hg) in camel milk sold in Southeast Algeria and assess the potential health risks associated with its consumption. 120 samples of camel milk were collected from 10 farms located near the roads in the south of Algeria. Metals were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with a graphite furnace and Target Hazard Quotients (THQs) were calculated. The mean concentrations were 0.026 ± 0.013 mg/kg, 0.001 ± 0.0002 mg/kg, 0.017 ± 0.002 mg/kg and 0.0005 ± 0.0002 mg/kg for Pb, Cd, Ni and Hg. The THQ was higher for children, suggesting health risks associated with consumption of camel milk for this age group (p < .001). The primary contribution of this study is the establishment of a database on toxic metal levels in camel milk, which can be valuable to manage possible risk associated with metals in milk.

Identification of Milk Adulteration in Camel Milk Using FT-Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Models

Camel milk, esteemed for its high nutritional value, has long been a subject of interest. However, the adulteration of camel milk with cow milk poses a significant threat to food quality and safety. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-MIR) has emerged as a rapid method for the detection and quantification of cow milk adulteration. Nevertheless, its effectiveness in conveniently detecting adulteration in camel milk remains to be determined. Camel milk samples were collected from Alxa League, Inner Mongolia, China, and were supplemented with varying concentrations of cow milk samples. Spectra were acquired using the FOSS FT6000 spectrometer, and a diverse set of machine learning models was employed to detect cow milk adulteration in camel milk. Our results demonstrate that the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model effectively distinguishes pure camel milk from adulterated samples, maintaining a 100% detection rate even at cow milk addition levels of 10 g/100 g. The neural network quantitative model for cow milk adulteration in camel milk exhibited a detection limit of 3.27 g/100 g and a quantification limit of 10.90 g/100 g. The quantitative model demonstrated excellent precision and accuracy within the range of 10-90 g/100 g of adulteration. This study highlights the potential of FT-MIR spectroscopy in conjunction with machine learning techniques for ensuring the authenticity and quality of camel milk, thus addressing concerns related to food integrity and consumer safety.

Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Tarim and Junggar Bactrian Camels Based on Simplified GBS Genome Sequencing

In view of the severe reduction in Bactrian camel germplasm resources, scientific evaluation, protection, and utilization is particularly important. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the genetic diversity and genetic structure of this species, and identify the genes that have played important roles in its evolution. In this study, 21,971 SNPs were identified in 118 domestic Bactrian camels from the Tarim (n = 60) and Junggar (n = 58) populations using simplified GBS genome sequencing. The results show that Tarim and Junggar Bactrian camels have high nucleotide diversity. A phylogenetic tree constructed using structural analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and the adjacency method (NJ) showed that Tarim and Junggar Bactrian camels were clustered together. The selection signals revealed that the Tarim and Junggar Bactrian camels shared 108 genes under positive selection, including WNT1, WNT10B, CD14, SEC61A2, DPAGT1, FOXO6, etc. These selected genes were widely involved in the immune system, embryonic development, lipid metabolism, and other processes. From a genomic analysis perspective, the genetic relationship between TLM and ZGE camels is close, with an average Fst of 0.048 and a relatively low average differentiation coefficient between the two populations. In addition, shared selected genes in the long-term depression pathway were significantly enriched in Tarim and Junggar. These findings will offer support and assistance for the exploration of genetic resource preservation, economically significant traits, and the mechanisms underlying biological characteristics, molecular breeding, and disease.

Seasonal variations of vitamin A, D and E levels in serum of female camels (Camelus dromedarius) and their calves raised in five geographic regions of Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study was to investigate the serum level of fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E in clinically healthy lactating female camel (Camelus dromedarius) and suckling calf > one-year-old during winter and summer seasons in five main regions of Saudi Arabia. 60 sera samples were collected and tested for vitamins A, D and E levels and the results were statistically analyzed. The statistical mean value of vitamin A was within the reported range but for D and E, there were minor variations. The effect of season was insignificant (p > 0.05) for vitamins A and E in the combined results of the dam and newborn together. This seasonal effect was highly significant in dam serum (p < 0.05). Region effect was significant for vitamin A in the northern area (p < 0.05) and for vitamin E in the southern region (p < 0.05). Correlations analysis revealed significant results in the season vs vitamin A and E p < 0.05. Mean values of vitamins A, D and E in dam and newborn did not observe significant variations however, in the season and regions there were significant variations which can be attributed to the climate difference, availability of balanced rations and camel management in each location of the five main regions of Saudi Arabia. There is a great need for further studies and the consequent development of supplementation programs and camel feed manufacturers awareness of such results is highly recommended.

Relation between Color and Chemical Composition of Dromedary Camel Colostrum

Camel milk industrialization faces technological problems related to the presence of colostrum in milk. The determination of color parameters may serve to differentiate between colostrum and milk. This work aimed to study the relationship between the chemical composition of camel colostrum and milk and their colors. Samples of colostrum were collected at 2, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, and 360 h postpartum (n = 16), and their physicochemical properties (pH, acidity, viscosity, color, dry matter, ash, protein, and fat) were analyzed. The results show that all the components decreased during the first 3 days except fat. The content of this later increased from zero in the three sampling on the first day (2, 12, and 24 h) to 1.92 ± 0.61% at 48 h postpartum. The amount of total dry matter and protein decreased from 20.95 ± 3.63% and 17.43 ± 4.28% to 13.05 ± 0.81% and 3.71 ± 0.46%, respectively, during the first 7 days postpartum. There was a weak correlation between the brightness (L*) of the camel milk and its contents of dry matter, protein, and fat; however, these parameters were strongly correlated with redness (a*) and yellowness (b*). Ash content was poorly correlated with the color parameters. Hence, the measurement of the color parameters of camel colostrum and milk can be a new tool to evaluate their quality.