Fatty acids and lipids of camel milk and colostrum

Total fat content was 32.8 +/- 14 g/L in camel milk (10-240 days post partum) or 30.1 +/- 19.5 g/L in colostrum (1-7 days post partum). Triacylglycerols accounted for 96% of the total lipids in milk. Triacyglycerols of camel milk contained saturated fatty acids (66.1%) and unsaturated fatty acids (30.5%). The predominant saturated fatty acids were 16:0 (34.9%) 14:0 (14.5%) and 18:0 (9.7%). The content of these fatty in acids in colostrum was lower (52.4%) than that of mature milk. The colsotrum contained a relatively high amount of 18:1 (25.4%), and 16:1 (13.9%), with the remainder being a mixture of dienoic and trienoic long-chain fatty acids. Triacylglycerols contained low amount of short-chain fatty acids (C4-C8). There is a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in camel colostrum and milk.