Bioactive Components in Camel Milk

Camel milk consumption is associated with less childhood stunting and underweight than bovine milk in rural pastoral districts of Somali, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

“…To our understanding, there has not been a comparative study of the effects of BM and CaM consumption on child growth, but some studies have shown that milk consumption could contribute to anaemia and stunting in young children ( 50 , 55 ) . However, reports have indicated that CaM has unique potential for nutraceutical and therapeutic activities against different conditions such as anaemia, parasitic infections and milk protein allergies related to β-lactalbumin as compared with BM ( 17 , 21 , 40 , 41 , 56 – 59 ) that could reduce stunting and underweight among the pastoralist children. Additionally, CaM has been fed as a human milk substitute in some studies ( 20 ) and has had antimicrobial effects ( 42 , 60 ) .…”

“…According to a 2010/11 report, Ethiopia produces about 4 billion litres of milk per year where 83 % is BM followed by 17 % from CaM ( 16 ) , but per capita consumption is very low, estimated at about 20 litres. CaM can supply required nutrients for child nutrition and eliminate the allergy complications sometimes caused by certain protein fractions in BM ( 17 ) . The composition of CaM vs. BM (in g/100 mL) includes: protein (3⋅1 vs. 3⋅5), fat (3⋅5 vs. 3⋅5), ash (0⋅79 vs. 0⋅76) and total solid (11⋅9 vs. 12⋅5), calcium (114 vs. 115 mg/100 mL) and iron (0⋅30 vs. 0⋅04 mg/100 mL).…”

“…According to several studies, CaM is different from BM in its composition and also has nutraceutical properties. Nutraceuticals found in CaM include insulin-like peptides, lysozymes, lactoferrin and antioxidative vitamins ( 20 , 21 ) with antidiabetic, hypoallergenic, antihypertensive, anticancer and antimicrobial effects with substantial benefits for human health as a functional food ( 17 , 20 , 22 , 23 ) . To date, there are several studies conducted on BM consumption and childhood undernutrition in developed and developing countries ( 24 ) ; however, to our understanding, there is a gap regarding the associations between CaM or BM consumption and growth failures in Ethiopia and elsewhere.…”

Camel milk products: innovations, limitations and opportunities

“…For example, the composition of protein fractions of camel milk is quite different from that of bovine milk both in terms of quantity and types of protein fractions (Seifu 2022). Caseins in camel milk account for 52-87% of the total protein whereas they account for about 80% in bovine milk (Khatoon & Najam 2017). Comparison of camel milk with bovine milk proteins shows pronounced differences in the quantitative distribution of casein and whey proteins.…”

“…Owing to the high nutritional value and claimed medicinal properties of camel milk, a growing interest has been observed on camel milk and its products in recent years. The therapeutic value of camel milk has been attributed to the presence of various bioactive components in the milk that have potential in disease prevention and treatment (Khatoon & Najam 2017). Some of the claimed therapeutic uses of camel milk include its antihypertensive (Quan et al 2008;Muthukumaran et al 2022), antidiabetic (Agrawal et al 2007;Muthukumaran et al 2022), anti-microbial (El-Agamy et al 1992Muthukumaran et al 2022), anticarcinogenic (Magjeed 2005;Habib et al 2013;Muthukumaran et al 2022), anticholesterolemic (Swelum et al 2021;Muthukumaran et al 2022) effects and as an immune booster (Kumar et al 2016).…”