Camel Muscles Research Articles

Culinary Recipes Development from Camel Meat Treated with the Enzyme Preparation Protosubtilin

Most recently, non-traditional sources of animal protein, including camel meat, are of increasing interest. Due to the coarse-grained fibrous structure of the camel muscle tissue, ready-made dishes from this meat raw material have a hard consistency. In this regard, the study aim is to develop a rational regimen for softening Kalmyk Bactrian camel breed meat using the enzyme preparation protosubtilin G20x, to develop culinary dishes from meat raw materials pre-treated with this preparation, and also to compare with the study results of the protosubtilin G3x impact on softening meat raw materials. In terms of organoleptic quality indicators, camel meat complies with the GOST 7269-2015 and has the following content of the main nutrients: proteins – 21.6 %; fats – 7.2 %; minerals – 0.97 %. The moisture mass fraction is 76.7 %; energy value accounts for 151 kcal/100 g; moisture-binding capacity ranges from 73.3 to 80.7 %. By the microstructure, the camel muscle tissue is the same as in most butcher beast species, but the muscle fibers diameter ranges from 10 to 250 microns, indicating a coarse-grained fibrous structure. Moreover, there is a large amount of connective tissue in different cuts. Therefore, meat raw materials will remain tough after standard heat treatment. According to the listed indicators, a man can identify camel meat as a dietary full-fledged meat raw material. Still due to the meat hardness, pre-treatment is necessary to soften it. The optimal processing mode of meat raw materials treatment with an enzyme preparation protosubtilin G20x is the following: the aqueous solution concentration – 0.05 %; medium temperature – 40 °С; duration – 1 hour. The finished culinary dish from pre-processed raw materials received the highest score – 5 points. A comparative analysis of the protosubtilin G3x and G20x impact on the meat raw materials structure demonstrated that the preparation G20x was optimal for processing Kalmyk Bactrian camel breed meat, since at a lower concentration it enabled to increase the moisture-binding capacity of raw materials and finished dish yield.

Microbial quality and formation of biogenic amines in the meat and edible offal of Camelus dromedaries with a protection trial using gingerol and nisin.

This study aimed firstly at the investigation of the microbial status of the camel meat and edible offal including liver, kidneys, lungs, rumen, and duodenum distributed at local markets of Egypt. Total plate count, total psychrophilic counts, total Enterobacteriaceae count, the most probable number of coliforms, and total mold counts were monitored at the collected samples. The produced biogenic amines (BA) in the camel meat and offal were further estimated. An experimental trial to investigate the antimicrobial potentials of either nisin, gingerol, or an equal mixture of both using camel muscle as a food matrix was conducted. The achieved results declared a high microbial load in the camel meat and the offal. Duodenum and rumen had the highest microbial counts followed by lungs, kidneys, liver, and muscle, respectively. Similarly, duodenum and rumen had the highest levels of BA, including tyramine, spermine, putrescine, cadaverine, and histamine. Both of nisin and ginger showed significant antimicrobial properties in a concentration‐dependent manner. Thus, efficient hygienic measures during the handling of camel meat are highly recommended. In addition, using nisin, gingerol, or a mixture of both is an efficient strategy for improving the microbiological quality of the camel meat.

Chemical Composition and Quality Characteristics of Meat in Three One-Humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Breeds as Affected by Muscle Type and Post-Mortem Storage Period.

Simple SummaryThe present study aimed to investigate the influences of muscle type and postmortem storage period on meat chemical composition and quality attributes of three breeds of camels, including Baladi Saudi, Pakistani, and Somali. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani had better carcass characteristics than Somali. In addition, the longissimus lumborum muscle had better meat quality and the storage process can enhance quality features of meats that have relatively small amounts of connective tissue and that have not cold-shortened.The influence of muscle type and postmortem storage period on meat chemical composition and quality attributes of three breeds of camels (Baladi Saudi, Pakistani, and Somali) were investigated in this study. Crude fat and ash content were significantly higher in the Pakistani than in the Baladi Saudi and Somali breeds, except for higher moisture content observed in the Somali breed. The longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles had a greater crude protein than the biceps femoris (BF) muscle. Storage period exhibited a significant reduction in pH values and improvement in color components of meat. The Somali breed produced higher cooking loss % and shear force, with a lower water holding capacity than the Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds. The LL muscle had better cooking loss %, water holding capacity, and shear force, whereas storage period (7 days) exhibited a significant reduction in the myofibrillar fragmentation index. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds and LL muscle samples presented better meat sensory attributes, while storage period had no significant influence on the overall sensory characters of meat. In conclusion, there were significant differences between the chemical and structural characteristics of the LL, BF, and SM muscle samples among the three breeds of camel. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani had better meat quality traits than the Somali breed. In addition, LL muscles had better nutritional values and meat quality parameters than BF and SM muscles. Improvement in meat quality attributes were achieved with the storage process of 7 days. It is observed that, the Saudi Baladi camels have a merit of low fat content over both Somali and Pakistani camel breeds. It is also concluded that no significant effects were observed between the treatments as a result of storage when sensory attributes were considered. Moreover, breed, muscle and storage period were interacted significantly only with regard to lightness color space and shear force. This is useful knowledge for the meat industry for optimizing processing and storage procedures for various camel muscles.

Determination of pesticide and antibiotic residues in muscles of sudanese camel (Camelus dromedarius)

An effective analytical procedure was used for determination of organochlorine pesticides (Endrin, Aldrin, DDT, Endosulfan sulfate and heptachlor) and antibiotics (Tetracycline, Sulfonamides, Gentamycin and Cephalexin) in 12 Sudanese dromedary camel muscles. Forty-eight muscle samples from two age groups: group 1 (3–4 year old) and group 2 (6–7 year old) were collected. Meat samples from four muscles, i.e. longissimus thoracis (LT), semitendinosus (ST), semimembranosus (SM) and biceps femoris (BF) were extracted with acetonitrile and purified with acetonitrile-saturated n-hexane for removing impurities. After evaporation to dryness, the residue was passed through a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge for sample cleanup prior to Gas Chromatography coupled with various detectors such as Mass Spectrometer or electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) was also used to quantify of chemical concentrations in camel muscles. Pesticides residues in all camel muscles were below the Maximum Residual Limit (MRL). A Thin Layer Chromatographic (TLC) method was used to determine the residual of veterinary drugs and the results were confirmed by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMSMS). With the exception of tetracycline, no antibiotic residues were detected in camel muscles. Tetracycline residues in some muscles was significantly higher than the MRL. Meat sample from group 1 had significantly (P<0.05) lower tetracycline residues than group 2 in LT (32.13 vs. 36.75 ppm), BF (34.35 vs. 36.94), ST (29.07 vs. 35.83) and SM (28.42 vs. 35.92). This study confirmed that Sudanese camel meat is free from organochlorine residues but tetracycline residues were accumulated in both age groups. Following medication treatment, a withdrawal period of two weeks should be practiced to avoid any hazard for human health.

Camel meat production and quality: A Review

Approximately 250, 000 thousand camels are slaughtered annually in different countries. About 50% of the camels slaughtered are young males aged around 4 years. The camel meat is described as tough, coarse, watery and sweetish in taste compared to meats from other animals. However, evidence suggests that quality characteristics of camel meat are not much different from beef if animals are slaughtered at comparable ages. In some of the African and Asian countries, camel meat has been used for its medicinal properties. Based on recent FAOSTAT (2015) database, in 2013 global camel meat production reached 539, 100 Tonnes. Region wise Africa was leading with 416, 292 Tonnes produced, followed by Asia (122, 608 Tonnes) and Europe (200 Tonnes). Camel meat is much better than beef in that it has lesser fat than all the other red meats such as beef and mutton. Camel lean meat contains about 78% water, 19% protein, 3% fat and 1.2% ash with a small amount of intramuscular fat. Camel meat has a comparable essential amino acid contents to beef, lamb and goat meat. The camel hump is important and commonly used for cooking in camel producing countries. On fresh weight basis, the camel hump contributes about 64.2–84.8% fat with very high content of saturated fatty acids of about 63.0%. The semitendinosus muscle in the dromedary and bactrian camels had more magnesium than infraspinatous, triceps brachii, longissimus thoraces and biceps femoris muscles. The semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles had more iron than other muscles in dromedary. The male camels should be slaughtered between 1 to 3 years of age. This might be due to that less than 3 year of age, camels were not yet fully-grown (60–70% of full live weight), therefore, their meat is tender. A high ultimate pH in camel muscles is a consequence of low muscle glycogen as a result of pre-slaughter stress, including, poor nutrition, rough handling and long transportation. Muscle structure, glycogen concentration, collagen content, solubility and the activities of proteases and their inhibitors are the most important physiological parameters affecting meat tenderness. Water retention in meat is primarily caused by immobilisation of water within the myofibrillar system. The volume of the camel meat was reduced by 44.3% and weight by 48.2% after boiling in water for 40 min. The age of the camel has a significant effect on their meat colour (Kadim et al, 2006). Meat colour from 6–8 and 10–12 year old camels was darker (lower L*), redder (higher a*) and yellower (high b*) than 1–3 year old camels because of higher concentrations of myoglobin. Camel meat is rich in many essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, bioactives compounds such as carnosine, anserine, glutathione and essential fatty acids such as omega 3 fatty acids. Meat in general is considered a functional food for cures of many ailments and for improved performance in many cultures around the world. Camel meat has been processed into burgers, patties, sausages and shawarma to add value. The nutritional value of camel meat is similar to other red meats.

Quality of young one- humped Egyptian camel meat obtained from different anatomical locations

This study characterized the chemical composition and quality of Triceps brachii (from forequarter and Semitendinosus muscles from hindquarter of fifteen one humped camel carcasses obtained from animals slaughtered at about 5 years old. There were non-significant (p<0.05) differences in moisture, protein and ash contents between the two investigated muscle samples. The Triceps brachii muscle had significantly (p<0.05) higher fat content than that of the Semitendinosus muscle. Moreover, there were non-significant (p<0.05) differences in pH and TBARS values among investigated muscle samples. Furthermore, there were non-significant (p<0.05) differences in total soluble, sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins between two muscles. On the other hand, the myoglobin content of Semitendinosus muscle were significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of Triceps brachii muscle. The Triceps brachii muscle had higher collagen content (0.9%) and shear force (10 kg/f) value than those of Semitendinosus muscle. The higher L* value was noted in Semitendinosus muscle than Triceps brachii. However, a* and b* values were not significant (p<0.05) differ among the two muscles. This study indicated that composition and quality parameters were varied among camel muscles of fore and hindquarter and the knowledge of this variation allows for better marketing and processing of camel meat.

Effect of age on concentrations of nutrients in four muscles of the Sudanese dromedary (Camelus dromedaries) camel

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to determine the effect of age (3–4 and 6–7 years old) on concentration of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and collagen in the longissimus thoraces (LT), biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles of 12 Sudanese camels. There were significant effects of age and muscle type on moisture, fat and protein contents. The LT muscle had significantly (P < .05) higher fat than other muscles. The proportion of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, which ranged from 1 .0 to 1.07, was above the minimum ratio of 4.0 recommended to reduce the risk of coronary diseases in humans. The most abundant essential amino acid in camel muscles was lysine, followed by leucine, phenylalanine, Isoleucine, threonine and methionine. Muscles from 6- to 7-year-old camels had slightly higher insoluble collagen than those from 3- to 4-year-old camels. There was a general trend for mineral content of camel meat increasing with age with significant effect on Ca and Pb concentrations. The Sudanese camel meat is also an important source of several vitamins. This study indicated that concentrations of nutrients among muscles were affected by age and the knowledge of these factors allow for better marketing and processing of camel meat.

Accumulation, Persistence, and Effects of Indospicine Residues in Camels Fed Indigofera Plant.

Indospicine (l-2-amino-6-amidinohexanoic acid) is a natural hepatotoxin found in all parts of some Indigofera plants such as Indigofera linnaei and Indigofera spicata. Several studies have documented a susceptibility to this hepatotoxin in different species of animals, including cattle, sheep, dogs, and rats, which are associated with mild to severe liver disease after prolonged ingestion. However, there is little published data on the effects of this hepatotoxin in camels, even though Indigofera plants are known to be palatable to camels in central Australia. The secondary poisoning of dogs after prolonged dietary exposure to residual indospicine in camel muscle has raised additional food safety concerns. In this study, a feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the in vivo accumulation, excretion, distribution, and histopathological effects of dietary indospicine on camels. Six young camels (2-4 years old), weighing 270-390 kg, were fed daily a roughage diet consisting of Rhodes grass hay and lucerne chaff, supplemented with Indigofera and steam-flaked barley. Indigofera (I. spicata) was offered at 597 mg DM/kg body weight (bw)/day, designed to deliver 337 μg indospicine/kg bw/day, and fed for a period of 32 days. Blood and muscle biopsies were collected over the period of the study. Concentrations of indospicine in the plasma and muscle biopsy samples were quantitated by validated ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The highest concentrations in plasma (1.01 mg/L) and muscle (2.63 mg/kg fresh weight (fw)) were found at necropsy (day 33). Other tissues were also collected at necropsy, and analysis showed ubiquitous distribution of indospicine, with the highest indospicine accumulation detected in the pancreas (4.86 ± 0.56 mg/kg fw) and liver (3.60 ± 1.34 mg/kg fw), followed by the muscle, heart, and kidney. Histopathological examination of liver tissue showed multiple small foci of predominantly mononuclear inflammatory cells. After cessation of Indigofera intake, indospicine present in plasma in the remaining three camels had a longer terminal elimination half-life (18.6 days) than muscle (15.9 days), and both demonstrated monoexponential decreases.

Evaluation of Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Major Camel Muscles

An experiment was performed to assess physical and chemical properties of ten major muscles of Arabian one‐humped camel. Eight young (8‐10 months) Saudi Najdi camels were used for this purpose. The animals were raised under similar feeding regimen and husbandry practices for 60 days. After that, they were slaughtered, dressed and kept for 24 hrs at 4º C. Then, each carcass was split into two halves and twelve major muscles were removed from the right side of the carcass. These are Semitendinosus, Rectus femoris, Biceps femoris, Infraspinatus, Gluteus medius, Semimembranosus, Supraspinatus, Psoas major, Longissimus lumborum and Longissimus thoracis. The separated muscles were cut into steaks of 2.5 cm, packaged under vacuum and stored at – 10º C for later analysis. These included pH, color, cooking loss (CL), shear force (SF), and myofibril fragmentation index (MFI). The results showed that Psoas major and Supraspinatus had the lowest SF values (P&lt; 0.05), while Semitendonosus had the highest value. Gluteus medius and Longissimus thoracis obtained the highest MFI values (P&lt; 0.05), contrary, Rectus femoris had the lowest value. It is observed that Semitendonosus and Longissimus thoracis had the highest lightness value (L*), whereas Infraspinatus had the lowest. On the other hand, Semitendonosus and Supraspinatus had the highest numerical redness value (a*), while Rectus femoris had the lowest value. The results obtained out of this study shed light on the variation in some chemical and physical properties of camel muscles which in turn lay a basis for further investigations to improve quality characteristics of camel meat.Physical and chemical characteristics of ten major camel muscles Muscle SF (kg) MFI CL% pH L* a* b* Semitendinosus 5.4a 34.52bcd 42.61a 5.23cd 37.48a 16.67ab 5.45a Rectus femoris 5.06ab 26.14d 34.53bc 5.42a 35.03bcd 4.32cd 4.32cd Gluteun medius 4.88ab 56.40ac 40.45ab 4.26ac 32.96ef 15.90abc 5.03bc Biceps femoris 4.81ab 41.50abcd 36.03abc 5.19c 33.11def 14.39cd 4.88bcd Longissimus lumborum 4.77ab 36.72bcd 36.49abc 5.26bc 35.78ab 14.48cd 4.66bed Longissimus thoracis 4.67abc 51.10ab 41.26ab 5.22cd 36.23ab 14.15cd 4.48cd Infraspinatus 4.3c 44.62abcd 39.72abc 5.45ab 32.16f 15.41bd 4.55cd Semimembranosus 3.81cd 37.5abcd 33.69bc 5.35ab 34.41bcde 14.16cd 5.32b Supraspinatus 3.56d 46.52abc 38.81abc 5.43a 33.33cdef 17.52a 5.03bc Psoas major 3.41d 48.77abc 37.13abc 5.22cd 35.19bd 15.58bc 4.96bed abcdef Means in the same column followed by different subscripts are significantly different at P &lt; 0.05

Study on Sarcosystis Sp. By Light and Electron Microscopy in Camel Muscles at Assiut Governorate

Aims It is the 1st time to study sarcosysts meisheri of camels in Assiut Govemorate; throughout the study different parts from camels in different locations were examined for Sarcosystis meisheri. (Abdominal, esophagus and tongue muscles).Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Sarcocystis meisheri . Infection among slaughtered camels in Assiut, Upper Egypt and to examine the ultrastructural characteristics of the sarcocystis meisheri inside the different muscles of camels. Main methods Random samples of different regions of camel muscles (0esophagus, tongue and abdominal region) were collected for examination of any Sarcocystis meisheri in muscles. Key findings One hundred and ninety five (195) specimens were examined. Only one hundred and eight (108) were found to be infected (55.5%).The infectious rates was highest in esophagus (62%), followed by abdominal muscles (52.2%) and tongue muscles (51.25%). Significance Generally the infectious rate with the parasite was higher in males than in females. Morphological and ultrastructures of muscle stage (sarcocyst) have been reported and illustrated in this study by both light and electron microscope. TEM showed that there are two types of Sarcocystis meisheri in camels in Assiut Governorate. The cyst consists of two types of cells these are metrocytes and merozoites and contained a large numbers of micronemes, rhopries, conoid and and mitochondrial organelles.

Effect of Age on Quality Characteristics and Composition of Muscles of Sudanese Camel (Camelus dromedarius)

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of camel age and muscle type on meat quality and composition of Longissimus thoracis, biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles. Selected muscles were randomly collected from 12 Sudanese (Camelus dromedarius) of two age groups: group one ((3–4 year-old) and group two (6–7 year-old) at the Tambol slaughterhouse, Al-Butana State, Sudan. Moisture, protein, fat and ash contents of freeze dried samples were determined. Meat quality parameters including muscle ultimate pH, shear force, expressed juice, cooking loss%, myofibril fragmentation index and colour lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) were determined. There were significant differences in moisture, fat, and protein contents between muscles. The results also showed that old camel longissimus thoracis muscle had significantly higher fat content than the young one. The semimembranosus muscle sample from 6–7 year-old camel had significantly lower expressed juice than 3–4 year-old camel. The longissimus thoracis had the lowest and highest shear force and lightness values than other muscles. The semitendinosus had the highest shear force value, while semimembranosus had the lowest lightness than other muscle samples. This study indicated that composition and quality parameters varied among camel muscles and the knowledge of this variation allows for better marketing and processing of camel meat.

Chemical composition, quality and histochemical characteristics of individual dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) muscles

This study characterized the chemical composition, quality and histological traits of six muscles from 10 dromedary carcasses. There were significant differences in moisture, fat, protein, mineral, saturated and unsaturated fatty acid contents between muscles. The longissimus thoracis (LT) had the highest cooking loss (33.5%) and triceps brachii (TB) the lowest (29.2%). The shear force value of semitendinosus (ST), semimembranosus (SM) and biceps femoris (BF) were significantly higher than infraspinatus (IS), TB and LT. The LT had significantly higher values for L*, a*, b* than ST. The SM had the lowest MFI (65.3), while IS had the highest value (75.8). The ST significantly had the highest and lowest proportions of Type I and Type IIA muscle fibers, respectively than other muscles. This study indicated that composition, quality, and histochemical parameters varied among camel muscles and the knowledge of this variation allows for better marketing and processing of camel meat.

Functional Organization of hsp70 Cluster in Camel (Camelus dromedarius) and Other Mammals

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a molecular chaperone providing tolerance to heat and other challenges at the cellular and organismal levels. We sequenced a genomic cluster containing three hsp70 family genes linked with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III region from an extremely heat tolerant animal, camel (Camelus dromedarius). Two hsp70 family genes comprising the cluster contain heat shock elements (HSEs), while the third gene lacks HSEs and should not be induced by heat shock. Comparison of the camel hsp70 cluster with the corresponding regions from several mammalian species revealed similar organization of genes forming the cluster. Specifically, the two heat inducible hsp70 genes are arranged in tandem, while the third constitutively expressed hsp70 family member is present in inverted orientation. Comparison of regulatory regions of hsp70 genes from camel and other mammals demonstrates that transcription factor matches with highest significance are located in the highly conserved 250-bp upstream region and correspond to HSEs followed by NF-Y and Sp1 binding sites. The high degree of sequence conservation leaves little room for putative camel-specific regulatory elements. Surprisingly, RT-PCR and 5′/3′-RACE analysis demonstrated that all three hsp70 genes are expressed in camel's muscle and blood cells not only after heat shock, but under normal physiological conditions as well, and may account for tolerance of camel cells to extreme environmental conditions. A high degree of evolutionary conservation observed for the hsp70 cluster always linked with MHC locus in mammals suggests an important role of such organization for coordinated functioning of these vital genes.

Effect of season on contractile and metabolic properties of desert camel muscle (Camelus dromedarius)

Thirty fattened one humped desert camels were used to examine the effect of season on contractile and metabolic properties of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Ten camels were slaughtered according to seasons of the year (winter, summer and autumn). Season significantly influenced muscle chemical composition, ultimate pH (pHu) and color. Activities of metabolic enzymes were higher during autumn season compared to summer and winter for phosphofructokinase (+64% compared to both seasons) and for isocitrate dehydrogenase (+35% and +145% in autumn vs. summer and winter, respectively). Quantification of muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed only presence of type I and type IIa MyHC in camel muscle and indicated high proportion in winter for type I and in autumn for type IIa with respect to other seasons. Several correlations between different MyHC proportions and enzyme activities were reported. These findings indicated that muscle characteristics in camels are influenced by season.

Life cycle of Sarcocystis camelicanis infecting the camel (Camelus dromedarius) and the dog (Canis familiaris), light and electron microscopic study

In the present study, the heteroxeneous life cycle of Sarcocystis sp. infecting camels were studied. A total of 180 slaughtered camels collected from different localities in Egypt were investigated for sarcocysts. Only 116 animals were found to be infected (the infection rate was 64%). Muscle samples of esophagus, diaphragm, tongue, skeletal, and heart muscles were examined. Exclusively, microscopic sarcocysts were detected in all examined organs. The infection rates of the esophagus, diaphragm, tongue, skeletal, and heart muscles were 60%, 50%, 40%, 40%, and 10%, respectively. By means of transmission electron microscopy, details of the ultrastructure of the sarcocysts were studied. The specific architecture and ornaments of the cyst wall, its protrusions, and the cyst interior were recorded. Unique features of protrusions of the primary cyst wall, the knob-like structures, arise around each protrusion. Experimental infection of carnivores by feeding heavily infected camel muscles revealed that the dog, Canis familiaris, is the only final host of the present Sarcocystis species. Gamogony, sporogonic stages, and characteristics of sporulated oocysts were also investigated.

Purification and characterization of cytochrome C from camel muscle.

Cytochrome C was purified from camel skeletal muscles using ammonium sulphate fractionation and gel filtration on Sephadex G25 and Sephecryl S200 columns. The preparations were pure by SDS-PAGE criteria, with molecular weight of 12,300 Dalton. The electrophoretic mobility of camel cytochrome C was the same as that of the horse heart. The spectral characteristics of the isolated cytochrome C were also investigated.

Differential expression and characterization of proto-oncogene product Ha-Ras GTPase in camel tissues

Pas proto-oncogene product is known to be involved in transducing signals for growth, differentiation and oncogenesis in mammalian cells. Using a monoclonal antibody to human Ha-Ras, a camel homolog of Ha-Ras protein having an apparent molecular mass of 21 kDa was identified. The expression level of Ha-Ras protein in various tissues of camel was compared with that of mouse tissues. In camel it was found that expression of Ha-Ras protein was highest in the kidney and moderate in the liver. Expression of Ha-Ras in camel lung, testis, spleen, heart, brain, intestine and muscle was found to be very low. While Ha-Ras expression in mouse was found to be highest in the intestine. A moderate expression of Ha-Ras was found in mouse testis, kidney and heart. The kidney tissue extract of camel was immunoprecipitated using the same human Ha-Ras antibody. Biochemical characterization of the immunoprecipitate revealed that like most other G proteins, the camel homolog of Ras is a GTPase. The GTPase activity was found to be stimulated specifically by recombinant human Ras GAP p120 and neurofibromin. It suggests that both camel and human share the same Ras mediated growth signaling process and that human Ras GAP might be able to complement camel Ras GAP function. Camel homolog of Raf-1 and MAP kinase (member of Ras signaling pathway) were also identified by immunoblot. This is the first demonstration showing the existence of a Ras mediated growth signal transduction pathway in camel.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of imidazole dipeptides, histidine, 1-methylhistidine and 3-methylhistidine in equine and camel muscle and individual muscle fibres

The combined solid-phase extraction (Isolute PRS columns) and reversed-phase gradient HPLC method presented provides a sensitive, reproducible and selective quantification of carnosine, anserine, balenine, homocarnosine, histidine, 1-methylhistidine and 3-methylhistidine in equine and camel muscle and individual muscle fibres. Recoveries were 91–115%. Lower limits of detection were 0.005–0.010 mmol kg − dry muscle. The compounds were isolated from other physiological amino acids and small peptides and resolved within a single chromatographic run of 55 min. Concentrations of these compounds in equine myocardium, diaphragm, skeletal muscle, camel muscle and individual muscle fibres of both species are presented for the first time.

Hypertrophic Z-line observed in aged one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).

The ultrastructure of cardiac muscle from 3 aged one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) was examined to see if aged camels also develop hypertrophic Z-lines as observed in the heart of aged humans and other animals. The results proved that the aged camel heart develops hypertrophic Z-lines together with other age-associated alterations, including loss of myofibrils and myofilaments, increase of intermyofibrillar spaces and intercellular spaces, and disruption of mitochondrial cristae and intercalated disc structure. Hypertrophic Z-lines are somewhat smaller than those of other species, but occur both in the atria and ventricles. Although the majority of cardiac muscle samples revealed a normal structure, the finding of hypertrophic Z-lines in camel heart is the first such observation in a ruminant animal. The anomalous camel muscle resembles that of other species in terms of cell alterations commonly associated with aged hearts.