Abstract
Camel milk is the mainstay for millions of people in arid and semi-arid environments. In these areas, it is mainly consumed raw or after it spontaneously turns sour. Although some attempts ...have been made to produce dairy products from camel milk, processing of camel milk is generally considered to be difficult and the quality of the final products made from camel milk do not correspond to their bovine milk counterparts. This paper reports a comprehensive analysis of the literature on camel milk products and presents synthesis of the latest developments, limitations pertaining processing and opportunities for development of new and improved camel milk products. The protein composition and colloidal structure of camel milk differs from cow milk. It is characterized by absence of β-lactoglobulin, low κ-casein content, high proportion of β-casein, larger casein micelles and smaller fat globules. These differences lead to the difficulty of making dairy products from camel milk using the same technologies as for bovine milk. Some of the challenges of camel milk processing include poor stability of the milk during UHT treatment, impaired rennetability, formation of weak and fragile curd during coagulation, longer fermentation time, and low thermal stability of the milk during drying. Despite these difficulties, it has now become possible to produce a range of commercial and traditional dairy products from camel milk. Some of the strategies that could be applied to improve the quality and characteristics of camel milk products are discussed.
Graphical Abstract
Camels are important dairy animals and are better milk producers in arid and desert environments than other livestock kept in the same environment. They not only survive but also produce more milk ...for longer periods than other animals, such as cattle. Camel milk has unique properties and a number of advantages as compared to milk from other species. This paper reviews recent developments on camel ( Camelus dromedarius ) milk, its nutritional and health benefits. It also addresses the peculiar characteristics of camel milk and its implications on processing and development of camel dairy products. Camel milk has superior nutritional quality and purported medicinal properties against a range of human illnesses including antidiabetic, anti-autistic, anti-microbial, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, anticholesterolemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoallergenic, hepatoprotective and immune boosting effects. The claimed therapeutic property of camel milk is attributed to its possession of various bioactive compounds as well as generation of bioactive peptides from intact proteins during digestion and/or fermentation of the milk. Although available reports mainly based on in vitro studies and animal models indicate the therapeutic potential of camel milk, the clinical effectiveness and value of camel milk as a therapeutic agent has not been conclusively confirmed. Camel milk differs markedly from bovine milk in terms of structural and functional properties of the milk components, and composition of individual proteins and its colloidal structures. These differences present challenges for processing camel milk into products.
Abstract
Although Moringa is an important vegetable crop elsewhere, its nutritional and non-food uses are not widely known in Botswana community. This study was conducted to determine the chemical ...composition and mineral contents of leaves of
Moringa oleifera
trees grown in Gaborone, Botswana. The leaf samples were collected from Moringa trees grown in the backyards of six different households in Gaborone city. They were dried separately at 55 ºC for 24 h and then ground to obtain a powder for analysis. The data on the proximate composition of the Moringa samples were subjected to Analysis of Variance to determine statistical differences among the mean values. The overall mean values of moisture, fat, protein, ash, fiber and total available carbohydrates of the leaves were 6.93 ± 0.16, 7.78 ± 0.13, 27.1 ± 0.43, 7.34 ± 0.31, 9.1 ± 1 and 46.5 ± 3%, respectively. The Moringa leaves contained average values of 520 ± 96.0, 7.7 ± 1.3, 30.1 ± 15.5, 0.8 ± 0.1, 82.6 ± 6.4, 1.7 ± 0.2, 1.6 ± 0.2 and 0.02 ± 0.00 mg/100g of Calcium, Iron, Sodium, Zinc, Magnesium, Aluminum, Manganese and Chromium, respectively. Significant differences were observed for moisture, fat, protein and ash contents among the six Moringa samples. The results showed that the leaves are rich in nutrients, particularly with high amounts of protein and ash. This suggests that Moringa leaf could serve as an important protein and mineral supplement in the diet and can be consumed as a vegetable in Botswana. The difference in composition observed between the Moringa leaf samples suggests a possible genotypic difference between the Moringa trees used in this experiment. Thus, there is a need for further study to verify this.
Graphical Abstract
Abstract
Moringa is a multipurpose tree and an important vegetable crop elsewhere. However, it is recently introduced to Botswana and grown in the backyards of households as a shade. Its uses are ...generally unknown to the community, and it is underutilized despite its huge nutritional and non-food uses. In this study, the nutritional composition, bioactive components and antioxidant activity of
Moringa stenopetala
(MS) and
Moringa oleifera
(MO) leaves grown in Gaborone Botswana were determined. Except for moisture content, no significant difference (
p
> 0.05) was observed in proximate composition between MS and MO leaves. The moisture content of MS leaves was significantly (
p
< 0.05) higher than that of MO leaves. MS leaves had significantly (
p
< 0.05) higher Na and K contents than MO leaves. However, MO leaves had significantly (
p
< 0.05) higher Zn content than MS leaves. The two Moringa leaves had comparable Fe, Ca and Mg contents. The Vitamin C content of MO leaves was significantly (
p
< 0.05) higher than that of MS leaves. However, MS leaves had significantly (
p
< 0.05) higher total phenolic, total flavonoid contents (mg/100 g) and antioxidant activity (µg/mL) as compared to MO leaves. The Moringa leaves can be used for development of functional foods with improved nutrition and health benefits.
Graphical Abstract
The effect of spray drying process parameters (i.e., inlet temperature, atomization pressure, and feed flow rate) on the denaturation of whey proteins of skimmed camel milk was studied using a ...face-centered central composite design. Spray drying of skimmed camel milk (i.e., total solids of 8.4% w/w) produced powders with a total solids content of 94-97% (w/w), protein 22-29% (w/w) and lactose 27-31% (w/w). The process was optimized using response surface methodology in combination with desirability function. A maximum recovery of 61% of the total solids was achieved while still maintaining denaturation of whey protein and insolubility index levels at their minimum possible value of 39% and 0.1 mL, respectively. The final moisture content of the powder at these conditions was 3.3% (w/w). This implies that, as denaturation was the primary mechanism by which camel milk lose its protective proteins, minimizing denaturation would make it possible to produce skimmed camel milk powders with good nutritional and therapeutic values. The morphology of spray-dried skimmed camel milk processed at 140°C showed greater spherical intact particles than their cow milk powder counterparts.
Motlopi coffee is a beverage prepared from roots of an indigenous tree Boscia albitrunca and consumed in Botswana. To date, there is no published report about the quality characteristics of Motlopi ...coffee. This study was conducted to develop an improved Motlopi coffee by varying roasting time and temperature and assess its physicochemical properties and sensory quality. The roasting temperatures considered were 150 °C and 160 °C with roasting time of 10, 15 and 20 min at each temperature. The study showed that bulk density of ground coffee was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased at 160 °C than at 150 °C and pH of Motlopi coffee was generally higher at 150 °C than at 160 °C. The total soluble solids (TSS) of Motlopi coffee decreased with increasing roasting time at 150 °C; however, it increased with increase in roasting time at 160 °C. Browning index (BI) tended to increase with increase in roasting time both at 150 and 160 °C and was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 160 °C than at 150 °C. The titratable acidity (TA) decreased with an increase in the roasting time both at 150 and 160 °C and was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 150 °C than at 160 °C. The traditionally prepared Motlopi coffee had comparable TA with treatment 2 (150 °C for 15 min). The consumer acceptability test showed that the laboratory made Motlopi coffee had significantly higher (p < 0.05) scores for taste, body and overall acceptability than the traditional Motlopi coffee. Roasting Motlopi roots at 150 °C for 15 min resulted in Motlopi coffee of good physicochemical properties and sensory quality.
Boscia albitrunca roots, physicochemical properties, Motlopi coffee, roasting; temperature, roasting time, sensory quality.
A review on the challenges and opportunities of processing camel milk into dairy products is provided with an objective of exploring the challenges of processing and assessing the opportunities for ...developing functional products from camel milk. The gross composition of camel milk is similar to bovine milk. Nonetheless, the relative composition, distribution, and the molecular structure of the milk components are reported to be different. Consequently, manufacturing of camel dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt, or butter using the same technology as for dairy products from bovine milk can result in processing difficulties and products of inferior quality. However, scientific evidence points to the possibility of transforming camel milk into products by optimization of the processing parameters. Additionally, camel milk has traditionally been used for its medicinal values and recent scientific studies confirm that it is a rich source of bioactive, antimicrobial, and antioxidant substances. The current literature concerning product design and functional potential of camel milk is fragmented in terms of time, place, and depth of the research. Therefore, it is essential to understand the fundamental features of camel milk and initiate detailed multidisciplinary research to fully explore and utilize its functional and technological properties.
The natural antimicrobial system present in milk, the lactoperoxidase (LP) system, has been used to preserve raw milk quality in areas where it is not possible to use mechanical refrigeration for ...technical and/or economic reasons. Although the most widely recommended industrial application of the LP system in food production is in the dairy industry for the preservation of raw milk during storage and/or transportation to processing plants, other novel applications of the LP system are being explored. This review paper addresses the use of the LP system in the dairy industry, new research findings and developments made so far and the potential applications of the LP system in other food systems and commercial products. The paper also highlights the research gap and possible future research directions that deserve attention.
Abstract
The consumption of traditional and indigenous foods and beverages varies across different ethnic communities and is often influenced by geographical location. However, the diversity of ...edible plants is rapidly declining due to climate change, leading to a loss of knowledge about useful plants used by different communities before the plant itself becomes extinct. This research investigated the edible plant types and investigated the processing steps of plant-based traditional foods/dishes and beverages of Gumare village, located in the catchment area of the Okavango Delta in the northwest of Botswana. Questionnaire interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) were used to collect data. The study identified 52 wild and 19 domesticated edible plants used in the preparation of traditional foods/dishes and beverages of Gumare village. Maize, sorghum, millets, beans, melon, watermelon, pumpkin, bottle gourd and sweet potato are widely used domesticated crops. The wild edible plants are either directly used after minor processing or as recipes in traditional dishes and/or as an inoculum in the fermentation, as a substrate in traditional beverages and some as medicinal plants. However, some taboos and food safety challenges were observed in the use of certain plants. The study highlighted a decline in the use of traditional foods/dishes and beverages, particularly among the young generation. The youth indicated that they have a low interest in gathering traditional foods and beverages due to the time-consuming nature during harvesting and the labour-intensive processing. In addition, they indicated the dangers of attacks by wild animals from veld by reptiles (for example snakes and pythons) and alligators (crocodiles) from rivers during the harvesting of raw materials used in traditional foods and dishes. For the communities, the diverse edible wild plants documented are a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds such as dietary fibers, phenolics, terpenes, essential oils, carotenoids, and alkaloids that help to combat malnutrition and for use as traditional medicines to support health and wellness. In conclusion, the significant diversity of wild edible plants and domesticated crops in Gumare village, likely due to its location in the catchment area of the Okavango Delta, plays a crucial role in diet diversification and can contribute to food and nutrition security. However, for most wild edible plants of Botswana, information on their nutrient and bioactive compounds are still limited. This study provides baseline information for further chemical investigation and development of resources in the formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals.
Graphical Abstract
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