Camel milk products beyond yoghurt and fresh milk: challenges, processing and applications.

Camel (Camelus dromedarius and (Camelus bactrianus) are commonly domesticated in the arid and semi-arid regions because they are well adapted to live in harsh climatic conditions. Camel milk is widely consumed in these regions due to its high nutritional value and medicinal properties. It is rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. Moreover, it possesses therapeutic properties such as anti-microbial, anti-oxidants, anti-viral and anti-cancer. Camel milk can be processed into value added products with the aim of extending shelf life and diversifying its usage. However, there are various challenges experienced in processing of camel milk products. This study aims at reviewing published literature on camel milk products processing, processing challenges, the available solutions and applications. To achieve these aims, literature search was carried out using narrative methodology. Literature review provided information concerning processing of camel milk products, the challenges, how to overcome these processing challenges and applications. From this review of literature on camel milk products it can be concluded that it's possible to process these products with some challenges but scientific and technological solutions are available that are improving over time.

Physicochemical Properties of Avocado Seed Extract Model Beverages and Baked Products Incorporated with Avocado Seed Powder.

Consumption of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) has increased worldwide in recent years. The avocado pulp is used, but the peel and seed are discarded as waste. Studies have shown that the seeds are rich in phytochemicals that can be utilized in food systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of Hass avocado seed as a source of polyphenols in the processing of model beverages and baked products with functional properties. The proximate analysis of the avocado seed powder was carried out. The shelf life of phenols in avocado seed powder (ASP) stored in dark, amber-colored bottle and transparent bottle was studied for six months. The seed extract was incorporated into model beverages of different pHs stored at refrigerated and ambient temperatures, and the shelf life was monitored for 20 weeks. The seed powder was incorporated into baked products at 0, 15, 30, or 50% followed by total phenolic content and sensory property analysis. Proximate composition of the seed powder for moisture, ash, protein, fiber, fat, and total carbohydrates was 14.19, 1.82, 7.05, 4.00, 13.64, and 59.30 percent, respectively. During storage of the seed powder, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the phenol content under the different storage light conditions for six months. In the model beverages, lower pH levels (2.8, 3.8, and 4.8) and those stored at ambient temperatures (25°C) recorded lower phenol content than the control pH, i.e., 5.5, and those under refrigerated conditions throughout the storage period studied (20 weeks). The concentration of phenols in the baked products increased with increasing avocado seed powder. The color of all the queen cake formulations was liked very much by the sensory panel. The aroma of 0% and 15% ASP was liked very much, while the other formulations (30% and 50%) were liked moderately. The taste rating and overall acceptability decreased with an increasing avocado seed powder in the queen cake formulations. Avocado seed extracts can be incorporated to prepare functional beverages and functional baked products that are acceptable by sensory panelists.

Production and characterisation of camel milk yoghurt containing different types of stabilising agents.

As at 2020, Kenya was the best performing camel milk producer globally, with an annual production of 1.125 million tonnes. Despite the high production, about 50% of milk is wasted due to challenges affecting value addition to products such as yoghurt. The production of camel milk yoghurt faces multiple challenges, such as poor texture and weak structure, resulting in poor consumer acceptability. This study aimed to improve the physicochemical properties of camel milk yoghurt by adding different stabilising agents and calcium chloride. Yoghurt samples were processed using 3 L of camel milk, 6% sugar, 0.006% starter cultures, corn starch or modified starch and calcium chloride. The stabilisers were added at 2, 2.5, and 3% and Calcium Chloride at 0.075%. The milk was pasteurised at 90 °C for 30 min. Fermentation was performed for 6 h at 42 ±1 °C, and yoghurt was stored at 4 °C. The total titratable acidity, pH and viscosity were monitored hourly during fermentation and storage, while syneresis and water holding capacity were analysed at 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of refrigerated storage. The sensory evaluation was done using the 9-point hedonic scale to rate yoghurt samples' overall acceptability, colour, sweetness and thickness. The TTA of camel milk yoghurt increased with increasing fermentation time (0-6 h) and storage time from 1 to 21 days. The pH decreased with increasing fermentation time (0-6 h) and storage time from 1 to 21 days. The addition of stabilisers increased the viscosity of the yoghurt, with 3% corn starch exhibiting the highest viscosity throughout the fermentation and storage time. Corn starch had a higher effect on viscosity compared to modified starch. Calcium chloride further amplified the viscosity of the yoghurt. The addition of stabilisers reduced syneresis by over 44% compared to bovine yoghurt. In this study, the best results of viscosity, syneresis and sensory evaluation were observed when stabilising agents were added at the rate of 2.5% modified starch and 0.075% Calcium chloride.

Chemical and antioxidant characterization of Dovyalis caffra and Dovyalis abyssinica fruits in Kenya.

This study aimed at chemical characterization of Dovyalis caffra (Hook.f. & Harv.) Sim. and Dovyalis abyssinica (A. Rich.) Warb. fruits from Kinamba Town (KT) in Laikipia county and Gitoro Forest (GF) in Meru county of Kenya. All analysed fresh fruit samples had low pH values averaging at 2.67. Other tests showed D. abyssinica-GF to be significantly inferior to D. caffra-GF and D. caffra-KT in terms of TSS, TSS:TTA ratio, and ascorbic acid content. Based on these parameters, D. caffra-KT presents itself with a higher potential for direct consumption as compared to D. caffra-GF. Proximate analysis of dried fruit pulps demonstrated D. abyssinica-GF to be significantly higher in ash content and significantly lower in protein and fat contents compared to the other two samples. There were insignificant difference in the fibre and carbohydrate contents of all the fruit samples. In phytochemical analysis, D. caffra-GF recorded the highest total polyphenol content of 1845 mg Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g while D. abyssinica-GF reported the lowest figure of 1128 mg GAE/100 g. Flavonoid and simple phenols fractions were in the range of 18.15-26.85% and 73.15-81.85% respectively in all fruit samples. As for antioxidant activity, D. caffra-GF recorded significantly high scores in both DPPH and CUPRAC assays, and D. abyssinica-GF the lowest. The range of DPPH and CUPRAC scores for all samples was 1995-4993 mg l-ascorbic acid/100 g and 1384-2303 mg l-ascorbic acid/100 g respectively. The current study presents the nutritional and health potential of D. caffra and D. abyssinica fruits. This forms a good basis for future adoption and exploitation of these fruits.

An in vivo study examining the antiinflammatory effects of chamomile, meadowsweet, and willow bark in a novel functional beverage.

The antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties of polyphenols are well documented in vitro but there are few human studies. A herbal beverage composed of chamomile, meadowsweet, and willow bark (CMW) was developed and tested for its antiinflammatory effect in a cohort of healthy adults (n = 20) during a 4-week intervention. Subjects were randomised to either the treatment (TG) or placebo group (PG). The three herbs under study, which have been used in traditional and alternative medicine, were delivered in a berry extract matrix. This berry extract was used as a control in the experiment. The objective was to assess the herbs' effects on systemic inflammation and joint function by examining circulating cytokines and mechanical joint flexibility. Blood serum was analyzed for cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα. There was an average decrease of 21.7% IL-1ß in the treatment group, whereas the decrease seen in the placebo group was 3% but these were not statistically significant. Quartile analysis based on baseline production of TNFα demonstrated a decrease in the treatment group's IL-6 levels. This group showed improvements in mechanical joint function and pain upon movement of joints specific to the knee and lower back. Overall, no significant antiinflammatory effects were seen. The evidence is therefore inconclusive and further investigations are required using a larger cohort with some degree of elevated inflammatory activity.

Inhibition of proinflammatory biomarkers in THP1 macrophages by polyphenols derived from chamomile, meadowsweet and willow bark.

Antiinflammatory compounds in the diet can alleviate excessive inflammation, a factor in the pathogenesis of common diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and diabetes. This study examined three European herbs, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria L.) and willow bark (Salix alba L.), which have been traditionally used to treat inflammation and their potential for use as antiinflammatory agents. Aqueous herbal extracts and isolated polyphenolic compounds (apigenin, quercetin and salicylic acid, 0-100 µM) were incubated with THP1 macrophages, and interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured. At concentrations of 10 µM, both apigenin and quercetin reduced IL-6 significantly ( p < 0.05). Apigenin at 10 µM and quercetin at 25 µM reduced TNF-α significantly ( p < 0.05). Amongst the herbal extracts, willow bark had the greatest antiinflammatory activity at reducing IL-6 and TNF-α production. This was followed by meadowsweet and then chamomile. The lowest effective antiinflammatory concentrations were noncytotoxic (MTT mitochondrial activity assay). The Comet assay, which was used to study the protective effect of the isolated phenols against oxidative damage, showed positive results for all three polyphenols. These are the first findings that demonstrate the antiinflammatory capacity of these herbal extracts.