Body weight, blood glucose, rectal temperature, SPO
2 and pulse rate, blood and plasma profile values of control and fresh and frozen-thawed camel milk and colostrum groups are presented in (Fig 2 and 3) (Table1 and 2).
Chemical composition of fresh camel colostrum and camel milk
Fresh colostrum and milk of Mejham camel breed were collected from farm located in Al-Ahsaa region. In addition, fresh camel colostrum and milk were frozen and thawed. Chemical compositions of camel colostrum and camel milk were determined through milkoscan (Fig 2).
Body weight, rectal temperature, SPO2 and pulse rate
Changes of final body weight (g), rectal temperature, pulse rate and SPO
2 are presented in Table 1. Value of final body weight was significantly increased in fresh and frozen-thawed camel milk and colostrum groups compared to that of control group and no differences was found between milk and colostrum groups either fresh or frozen-thawed groups in final body weight. Additionally, rectal temperature (°C), pulse rates and SPO
2 values were not differed among control, colostrum and milk groups.
Monitoring blood glucose levels
Blood glucose values per two days of medium body weight mice consuming fresh and frozen-thawed camel milk and colostrum are presented in Fig 3. There were no significant differences in blood glucose levels between any of the groups at the start of the experiment. All groups had similar starting glucose levels around 137-139 mg/dl. Over the sixteen days, the fresh colostrum group consistently showed the lowest blood glucose levels (P<0.001), while the frozen-thawed colostrum group showed the highest ones. The fresh milk group showed a decrease in glucose levels, although it remained higher than the fresh colostrum group. The control group’s glucose levels remained relatively stable over the sixteen days of experiment. Collectively, the highest (P<0.001) blood glucose values were found in frozen-thawed colostrum followed by frozen-thawed milk groups whereas the lowest (P<0.001) blood glucose values were found in fresh colostrum followed by fresh milk groups if compared to control group.
Hematological profiles
The effects of camel milk (fresh and frozen-thawed) and camel colostrum (fresh and frozen-thawed) compared to a control group on various hematological profiles are presented in Table 2. The control group had significantly lower (<0.0001) RBCs counts (7.45x106/μl l) compared to all other groups (~ 8.4-8.5 x 10
6/μl l). Similarly, the control group had a lower PCV (38.1%) compared to the other groups (~ 43.5 - 45.1%). In addition, the control group also had lower hemoglobin levels (13.50 g/dl) compared to the other groups (~ 14.5 - 14.6 g/dl). The control group had the lowest (P<0.0001) WBCs count (5.60 x 10
3/µl). The fresh colostrum group had the highest (P<0.0001) WBCs count (6.90 x 10
3/µl), followed by the frozen-thawed colostrum group (6.80 x 10
3/μl) and the fresh milk group (6.50 x 10
3/μl). The same trends were obtained for types of WBCs and platelets.
Results of the presents experiments are presented in Fig 2-3 and Table 1-2 indicating the effects of camel milk and colostrum either fresh or frozen-thawed on body weight gain, blood glucose profiles, hematological profiles in mice. Collectively, the obtained results indicated a potential effect of fresh camel colostrum followed by fresh milk in decreasing blood glucose levels versus frozen-thawed and control groups. In addition, body weight gain, hematological profiles were improved in fresh and frozen-thawed camel milk and colostrum groups compared to control one. These effects could be attributed to the ingredients in camel colostrum and milk (Fig 2). Both camel colostrum and milk contain various biological compounds, some of which can be potentially effect on blood glucose levels and body functions
(Khaliq et al., 2024; Seyiti et al., 2024; Mohammed et al., 2025a). Freezing and thawing, a common method for preserving food and biological samples can have significant effects on protein structures of camel colostrum and milk. These freezing and thawing procedures of milk and colostrum can range from subtle changes in their immunoglobulins and other bioactive compounds conformation to irreversible denaturation and aggregation, ultimately influencing protein functions and stability (
Wöll et al., 2023). Freezing can lead to the formation of ice crystals, which can disrupt these delicate structures, potentially causing denaturation. Freezing can also affect the stability of milk and colostrum lipids, potentially leading to oxidation or other forms of degradation
(Fasse et al., 2021).
Body weight, rectal temperature, SPO2 and pulse rate
Camel milk and colostrum have been explored for a variety of potential health benefits (
García-García et al., 2020;
Djenane and Aider, 2024). These benefits may include changes in body weight gain where the control group exhibited a significantly lower final body weight (38.45g) compared to all milk and colostrum supplemented groups (P<0.05) (39.35 g to 40.00 g). This suggests that milk supplementation, regardless of type (fresh or frozen-thawed milk or colostrum), promoted weight gain compared to the control. This could be attributed to the contents of camel milk and colostrum (Fig 3)
(Khaliq et al., 2024; Olfa et al., 2023). The similar final body weights among the milk and colostrum supplemented groups suggest that freezing procedure and type (milk vs. colostrum) did not significantly influence body weight gain. Rectal temperatures and pulse rates remained relatively consistent across all groups. The small variations observed are not likely to be biologically significant and suggest that milk and colostrum consumption did not substantially affect these physiological parameters.
Rectal temperatures and pulse rates remained relatively consistent across all groups. The small variations observed are not likely to be biologically significant and suggest that camel milk and colostrum consumption did not substantially affect these physiological parameters. A notable difference was observed in SPO
2 levels. The control group exhibited a considerably lower SPO
2 (83.2%) compared to all camel milk and colostrum supplemented groups, which ranged from 86.3% to 87.6%. This suggests that camel milk and colostrum consumption may have a positive impact on oxygen saturation. The higher SPO
2 in the camel milk and colostrum groups could indicate improved respiratory function or oxygen utilization due to higher RBCs and Hb values (Table 2) (
Hafen and Sharma, 2022;
Mohammed et al., 2025b).
Blood glucose levels
The control group exhibits a relatively stable blood glucose level throughout the experimental period, with a slight increase towards the end. This suggests that without any milk and colostrum supplementation, blood glucose remains consistent with minor fluctuations. The fresh camel colostrum supplementation indicates the strongest hypoglycemic effect followed by fresh camel milk versus the strongest hyperglycemic effect of frozen-thawed colostrum and milk, respectively, if compared to control one. The hypoglycemic effect of camel milk has been confirmed in several studies (
García-García et al., 2020;
Mohammadabadi and Jain, 2024;
Mbye et al., 2025) whereas the hypoglycemic effect of camel colostrum has been not explored to the best of our knowledge earlier. Camel milk is suggested to be a suitable hypoglycemic factor in experimental animals and diabetic people (
García-García et al., 2020;
AlKurd et al., 2022; Mohammadabadi and Jain 2024). Consuming camel milk lowers blood glucose value and reduces the amount of insulin required for treatment by 30-35% for patients with type I diabetes
(Mirmiran et al., 2017; García-García et al., 2020;
Mohammadabadi and Jain, 2024). It has been assumed that camel milk contains insulin-like proteins that enhance health of diabetic patients
(Anwar et al., 2022). With frozen-thawed procedures, such insulin-like proteins in camel colostrum and milk might be denatured and aggregated. In addition, the SNF, fat, proteins and lactose contents of camel colostrum and milk could be attributed to hyperglycemic effect of frozen-thawed colostrum and milk if compared to control group (Fig 2).
Hematological profiles
Camel colostrum and milk supplementation, regardless of whether it was fresh or frozen, appear to have a positive effect on red blood cell parameters (RBCs, PCV, Hb), white blood cell parameters (WBCs, neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes) and platelet counts compared to the control group (Table 2). Camel colostrum and milk supplementation seem to enhance the production or levels of red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets. In addition, camel colostrum and milk supplementation also appear to stimulate the production of various types of white blood cells, suggesting a potential immune-modulatory effect. Furthermore, freezing the camel colostrum and milk did not seem to significantly alter its effects on these hematological parameters. The higher concentration of bioactive compounds such as lactoferrin and various immunoglobulins (IgM, IgA, IgG and IgD) are found in camel colostrum and milk, which has turned camel colostrum and milk into substances with extraordinary medicinal properties
(Ho et al., 2022). The presence of high levels of these compounds along with various vitamins (C, B1, B2, E, A)
(Swelum et al., 2021), lysozymes, insulin-like molecules and lactoperoxidase cause the therapeutic potential of camel milk
(Behrouz et al., 2024).