Effect of Management Systems and Seasons on the Physicochemical Properties and Fatty Acids Profiles of Sudanese Camel Milk

Abstract

This study was conducted in Butana area and Khartoum state during 2012 to 2014 starting with general survey to collect the information about the camel owners and their adopted practices in camel production in the different seasons, collection of favored browser plant grasped by camels and camel milk samples. This study aims to describe some field management practices adopted by herdsmen and camel owners, evaluate the favorite browse plants for camel and its relationship with chemical analysis of milk also to study the effect of management systems and seasons on camel milk composition and fatty acids profiles. A set of detailed structured questionnaires were used to collect information from a total of two hundred camel owners in different locations in Butana area in interview conducted over single visit. The questionnaire was designed to obtain information on general household information, herd structure purpose and size, management systems/field practices and feeding/watering practices, the Questionnaire results were analyzed mainly in the form of descriptive tabular summaries and Chi-square test was used. The results reveled that most of camel owners was illiterate, had experience more than 20 years in camel rearing, owned camel, sheep, goat and cattle and majority of them adopted the semi-sedentary system, also the results showed that more than fifty percentage of camel owners milked their camels twice a day and most of their camels produce more than 2.25 kg in winter, in addition to that the majority of camels owners allow the calves to suck two quarters of udder in 4winter and less of them provide one udder quarter in summer, moreover, half percentage of camel owners didn’t provide any additional feed to their camels and the majority of interviewed watered their camels in less than 3 days in summer and more than 5 days in winter. Most of camel owners did not receive any extension services and even the existence services are oriented to awareness about diseases, increasing the productivity and range management. A total of 23 Samples of browser plants (9 plants in summer and 14 in winter) of edible parts were collected to determine the determine moisture, protein, fat, crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), starch, sugar and ash using Bruker Optik GmbH, Rudolf- Ettlingen device based on specific Infra Red spectra and Independent samples T. test was used to study the effect of season on the chemical composition of the browser plants. The results revealed significant effects (P<0.01) of season on all proximate analysis parameters of the studied browser plants except for starch and ADF. Moreover the overall proximate analysis parameters of winter samples record higher values compare to summer samples except starch, CF, ADF and NDF. Also the results of proximate analysis parameters of the different browser plants species affected by season showed significant differences in all proximate analysis parameters of the studied browser plants except moisture in Salam (Acacia chrenbergiana), fat in Sidir (Ziziphus spirachristi) and ADF in Hashab (Acacia senegal). Elsewhere, the results of weeds and grasses showed that Molaita (Launaea cornuta) had the highest values in protein, fat, starch, sugar and ADF, also 5Siha (Blepharis edulisi) records the highest value in moisture. While, Senna maka (Cassia angustifolia) had the lowest values in moisture, protein, starch and ash. A total of 111 camel (Camelus dromedaries) milk samples in different management systems and season [56 indoor (31 in summer, 25 in winter) and 55 outdoor (30 in summer, 25 in winter)] were randomly collected in June 2013 for summer samples and February 2014 for winter samples to investigate the effect of two management systems and seasons on physicochemical components of raw camel milk using automatic milk analyzer device Lactoscan TM and Independent samples T. test was used to analyze the obtained data. The management systems had high significant effect (P<0.01) on camel milk yield, density and ash and significant affect (P<0.05) on conductivity, pH, fat and protein. Whereas, freezing point, SNF and lactose shows no significant differences (P>0.05). Season was significantly affected the conductivity, pH, fat, protein and ash while, it had no significant effect on other parameters. sixtey of camel milk samples from the gross total number (111 samples) in different parity numbers (1 st parity=16, 2 nd parity=8, 3 rd parity=16, 4 th parity=15 and 5 th =5) and in different breed (Anafi n=10, Keneana n=20, Daili n=12 and Arabi n=18) were randomly collected to investigate the effect of parity and breed on milk yield and some physicochemical components of camels milk and the data were analyzed using one way ANOVA as complete randomized design followed by Least significant difference test (LSD) and the correlation between different physicochemical 6components of camel milk was calculated using simple correlation (Pearson). Milk yield, solid non fat (SNF), fat and protein were affect by parity number (P<0.05). Significant differences (P<0.05) of breed types were recorded in milk yield, freezing point, conductivity, SNF, fat, protein, lactose, and ash. The results showed strong positive correlation (P<0.01) in density, freezing point, SNF, fat, protein, lactose and ash. But between fat and lactose, fat and ash were positively correlated (P<0.05). The fatty acids profiles was done using Gas chromatography, GC-2010 and the effect of management systems and season on fatty acid profiles were analyzed using descriptive tabular summaries, general linear model followed by LSD test as 2 X 2 factorial arrangements. The results revealed that the fatty acids ranged from C6 to C24, the most frequent fatty acids were C13:0, C18:2 ω-6, C18:1 ω-9, C16:0, C15:0 and C12:0 while the less frequent were C24:1, C24:0, C22:6 and C6. Also the results revealed that C24:1 ω-9 and C22:6 ω-3 exist just in outdoor-winter system, in contrast to C14:1 and C20:5 which absent in outdoor-winter. The proportion of polyunsaturated FA (PUSAT) was 18%, monounsaturated FA (MUSAT) 20.4% and saturated FA (SAT) was 61.6% with a ratio saturated/unsaturated FA of 1.60:1. Moreover, most of MUSAT fatty acids were ω-7 and ω-9 fatty acid types and all existed PUSAT fatty acids were either ω-3 or ω-6 fatty acid types. The results showed that the proportion of PUSAT fatty acids were the lowest while the SAT fatty acids were highest in both management systems and seasons and it was showed that the most frequent SAT fatty acids were C12:0, C13:0, C14:0, C15:0 and C16:0. Also the results revealed that SAT, MUSAT and PUSAT fatty acids profiles were higher in indoor system. 7The study concludes that majority of camel owners adopted the semi-sedentary system and tends to reared camels with small animals, Seasons significantly affected most of proximate analysis parameters of the studied browser plants and winter records higher values than summer. Also it concludes that both management system and season had no significant effect on freezing point, SNF, and lactose. Whereas it were affected the other physicochemical components. Most of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUSAT) were ω-7 and ω-9 fatty acid types and all existed polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUSAT) were either ω-3 or ω-6 fatty acid types, PUSAT fatty acids were the lowest while the saturated fatty acids (SAT) were highest in both management systems and seasons.