COMPOSITION AND NUTRIENTS IN CAMEL MILK

The milk yield of camel varies greatly depending on the region and is a highly debated one because of the conflicting data emanating from different regions of the world. A peak total yield of 13,560 kg per animal per lactation has been reported and a single day yield of as high as 50 litres a day has been reported from Northern Kenya while camels in Tunisia yield milk of 2-4 kg a day during an 8 month lactation period. The beauty with the camels is that they are capable of yielding more milk than cows maintained at similar arid conditions in which camels yielded an average of 4 litres of milk while cattle yielded 1-2 litres of milk. This reflects the potential of camels as good dairy animals.

The lactation curve of camels is entirely different from that of other lactating mammals because in cows the milk yield is low at the beginning of lactation and gradually increases until a plateau is reached before declining. However, in camels, it is high in the first seven months and then declines rapidly. The difference could be due to poor management as well as milking practices. The milk yield of Bactrian camels is low compared with that of the Dromedary.

When the effect of milk yield on the chemical composition of Dromedary camel milk was studied, it was found that protein content was significantly lower in high-yielding camels than in the milk of low-yielding ones. However, there was no clear difference in contents of milk fat, lactose, and water between low and high-yielding camels.

Somatotropin (BST) increased milk production, but neither fat nor protein contents in milk at the time of maximum response were affected, although during the first week after injection of BST, a decrease in protein and increase in fat was recorded.

COLOSTRUM

Colostrum of camel is yellowish white in color and has a lower viscosity than that of cattle. It contains high levels of total solids including total proteins, especially the whey proteins and immunoglobulin. It also has high contents of ash and chlorides, but low levels of lactose which are similar to bovine colostrum. Most of the reports suggest that camel colostrum contains very low fat content when compared to bovine colostrum which is rich in fat. Some differences between colostrum composition of Dromedary and Bactrian camels are also noted, with Bactrian colostrum being higher in lactose, protein, and ash content than that of Dromedaries.

Composition and physico-chemical parameters of Dromedary and Bactrian Camel Milk

 Figures given in the table are mean values arrived at from different sources; NA means Not Available

Casein, whey protein, and non-protein nitrogen represent 34, 57, and 9% of total nitrogen respectively and these ratios are quite different from those of bovine colostrum. Generally, non-protein nitrogen is higher in camel colostrum than in that of cows, goats, and human colostrum. The mineral contents decreased with progressing lactation.

NORMAL CAMEL MILK

Color and taste of Dromedary camel milk has a very white color and can be foamy and similar to Bactrian camel milk. The taste of camel milk is usually sweet when camels are fed with green fodder but sometimes it is salty when fed with certain shrubs and herbs available in the arid regions . The physico-chemical parameters of camel milk given in the above table varies widely depending on the country and it is determined by those factors including the analyzed samples of individuals or bulk, the analytical procedure used, lactation period, animal breeding, feeding regimen etc. The total solids content is higher in Bactrian camel milk than in Dromedary milk.

The effect of lack of drinking water on the composition of Dromedary camel milk was studied and it was found that water content of milk changes greatly, although the diet remained unchanged throughout the year. Water content of milk was 86 per cent when drinking water was freely accessible, but when drinking was restricted, the water content of milk increased to 91%. This may explain why water and total solids contents of camel milk in different data varied. On the other hand, it also explains the superb adaptation of camels to the desert environment in order to supply her calf with milk of sufficient nutritional value and water content. Values of specific gravity, fat, protein, lactose, and ash are higher in Bactrian camel milk than Dromedary milk. In comparison to other species, camel milk has the lowest pH value and mares’ milk the highest.