Analysis of the nutritional composition of Bahraini breed camel (Camelus dromedarius) milk: fatty acid, mineral, phenolic, and antioxidant content

Abstract

Camels live under extremely arid conditions, yet they can produce more milk than any other animal in the desert ecosystem. They also have a longer lactation duration as well as low nutrition requirements. This study aims to determine the fatty acids profile, minerals, antioxidant activity and total phenols/flavonoids content, in camel milk of the species Camelus dromedarius in Bahrain. Gas chromatography was employed to analyze the fatty acid methyl esters obtained after the extraction of fatty acids. Mineral concentrations were measured by an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer. Antioxidant measurements included total phenolic content by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, total flavonoid contents by AlCl3 colorimetric method, and total antioxidant activity by the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. The fatty acids analysis (median(interquartile range) %) showed that the most predominant fatty acids were unsaturated fatty acids (50.40(6.76) %), which were slightly higher than saturated fatty acids (49.60(12.17) %). The most abundant saturated fatty acids were C16:0 (26.73(6.73) %), C18:0 (12.32(4.28) %), and C14:0 (10.55(2.86)%). Monounsaturated fatty acid 18:1n9 was 31.5(5.66) %, and 16:1n7 was 12.75(2.19)%, while the major omega-3 was C18:3n3 (3.91(0.71) %). The main omega-6 were C18:2n6 and C18:3n6, accounting for 1.30(0.35) % and 0.94(0.21) %, respectively. The mineral content of camel milk varied, with the presence of macro minerals such as calcium (699.60 mg/L), sodium (855.18 mg/L), magnesium (9.33 mg/L) and potassium (87.09 mg/L). The results showed that camel milk has considerable values of total antioxidant activity (4.75(1.71) mmol/g), total phenolic contents (20.24(11.18) mg GAE/L) and total flavonoid contents (31.74(20.72) mg CE/L). In conclusion, although the (poly)phenol content in camel milk is relatively lower compared to certain plant-based sources, it can represent a good source of antioxidants, in addition to a significant content in unsaturated fatty acids and minerals, further enhancing its nutritional value for human health.