Advances in dairy Research
Open Access

Abstract

The Camel's (Camelus Dromedarius) Mammary Gland Immune System in Health and Disease

Ahmed M Alluwaimi, Kazem A Al-Mohammad Salem, Roqya A Al-Ashqer and Ibrahim H Al-shubaith

Dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) can survive and produce considerable amount of milk during recurrent and prolonged hot and dry environment. Camel milk considered one of the most valuable food sources due to its nutritional value. Intramammary infection and other low hygienic measurers are the main factors that undermined the camel mammary gland welfare. Available studies elaborated in detail the role of innate factors like Peptidoglycan recognition protein and Lactoferrin in camel milk as potent antimicrobial factors. Despite the wide studies on camel antibodies, their role in the mammary gland immunity was scarcely addressed. The major lack of information about the immune system of camel mammary gland is of great setback in improving the camel dairy industry. This review has evaluated the available data on different aspects of the mammary immune system. The available data unfortunately are of general profile, which created wide gaps in understanding the camel mammary gland immune system in health and disease. Several measures were proposed as necessary approaches to drive considerable interests of wide and in depth research on the camel mammary gland immune system.

In conclusion, the available knowledge on the immune system of camel mammary gland suffers from major lack in the role of the immunoglobulins in health and mastitis. Although, acceptable progress was made on defining the cellular populations of the mammary gland, their main activity during the infection needs to be revealed.