Medicinal values of bioactive constituents of camel milk: A concise report
Abstract
As a medicinal point of view, camel milk has mainly two active ingredients lactoferrin and immunoglobulins.1-18 Number of studies on camel lactoferrin reported that it has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor properties, etc.2,3 More specifically, it inhibits growth of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Clostridium, Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, etc. Furthermore, camel lactoferrin also has anti-pathogenic activity against human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus-1 infection.3,10 Not only have these, camel lactoferrin has immunomodulatory roles, as it modulates activation and maturation of various immune cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes.2,3 Most importantly, lactoferrin is the main ingredient of camel milk, through which camel milk perform anti-pathogenic activity against proliferation of cancer cells; however, mechanisms behind remain to be investigated.17 Recently, I along with some of my colleagues have investigated that camel lactoferrin has cartilage protective and anti-arthritic activity,1 at it showed anti-inflammatory activity against interleukin-1β-induced activation of human osteoarthritis chondrocytes through blocking of nuclear factor kappa B signaling events.1 In the same study, we also have also shown that it inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 expression and prostaglandin E2 production in stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes.1 These novel actions of camel lactoferrin are of important to know the mechanisms behind its anti-inflammatory or anti-arthritic effects.
Immunoglobulins from camel milk are also very important therapeutically because of their unique property of containing only two heavy chains, as the light chains are absent.17,18 Because of this reason, most of these immunoglobulins from lactating camel can pass within the milk; therefore, these immunoglobulins are remain available in the camel milk.2,3 Moreover, heavy chain of immunoglobulins are currently using in the immune therapy for patients with various disorders such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.2
Furthermore, camel milk also contains insulin-like protein, which is assumed to carry out anti-diabetic activity.12-14 It also contains higher proportion of zinc as compared to the zinc level present in the milk from other sources such as cow, which significantly enhanced insulin interaction with its receptor.3 Investigators have been reported that the amino acid sequence of insulin-like protein from camel milk is rich in cysteine residue, which has a similar feature of insulin family of peptides.13,16 Most importantly, it is important to point out that mucosal surfaces are the most common pathways for drug delivery to the humans and the oral administration of insulin was failed repeated to pass through mucosal barriers before entering into the bloodstream as it has been degraded by digestive enzymes.3 Insulin-like protein from camel milk has a unique property of encapsulation inside the nanoparticles such as lipid vesicles that protect it from digestive enzymes in the stomach to reach the target.12 Because of this lipid encapsulation, camel milk has not been coagulated in an acidic environment of the stomach and most interestingly, it has a better buffering capacity than milk from other species such as cows, buffalo, and goat.3,12 Taken all together, these studies identify and support the use of camel milk and its bioactive gradients as possible preventive agents with a potential to inhibit the development of various disorders ranging from diabetes to cancer. However, further studies are required to know the mechanisms behind their therapeutic actions.