Comprehensive biochemical and proteomic characterization of seasonal Australian camel milk. (1st July 2022) - Zou, Zhengzheng
Highlights: First study of composition, properties and whey proteomes of Australian camel milk. Different seasons, milking frequency and yield influenced camel milk composition. Protein and ash contents in Australian camel milk were stable throughout the year. Antimicrobial enzyme activities were highly variable among individual camels. Summer camel milk contained higher concentrations of bioactive proteins. Abstract: Although camel milk is increasingly becoming a popular alternative to bovine milk around the world including Australia, studies of Australian camel milk are still lacking. A comprehensive and systematic analysis of major nutritional components, physical properties, antimicrobial enzymes and whey proteomes of Australian camel milk obtained over four seasons was conducted, for the first time in present study. The composition and physical properties of Australian camel milk varied with season, milking frequency and yield. The highest lactoperoxidase and polyamine oxidase activity was observed in summer and winter, respectively. A total of 97 proteins were quantified, on a relative basis, across all the seasonal bulk milk samples. Summer camel milk contained higher amounts of functional whey proteins, such as lactotransferrin, peptidoglycan recognition protein 1, osteopontin and lactoperoxidase. These results contribute to a better understanding of the Australian camel milk and provide insights into processing of dairy products from this milk.