Total, free, short-chain and long-chain acyl carnitine levels in Arabian camel milk (Camelus dromedarius)

The total, free, short-chain acyl and long-chain acyl carnitine levels were measured in milk of the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius). Significant variation in carnitine concentrations were observed in milk of the camel when compared with other mammalian milk species. The result shows that Arabian camel milk possesses a higher than usual concentration of the average percent contribution of free carnitine to total carnitine that is found in most mammalian milk species. A higher proportion of total carnitine was found in camel milk when compared with cow, human milk and milk formulas, however, it is lower when compared with sheep and goat milk. The higher carnitine content and a higher proportion of total carnitine in milk of the Arabian camel suggest an adaptive mechanism that could be common to desert mammalian species.