Production, characterization, and bioactivity of novel camel milk-based infant formula in comparison to bovine and commercial sources

The study reports formulation, characterization and in-vitro digestion of novel camel milk-based infant formula (IF) in comparison to bovine and commercial IF. Camel milk IF was further fortified with camel casein or whey at different levels to study the effect of different protein supplementations. A simulated infant gastrointestinal digestion (SIGID) model was used to compare the digestibility of different IFs. Protein digestibility of various IFs were studied through degree of hydrolysis (DH), sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and reverse-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC). Upon SIGID, camel milk IF fortified with 10% whey showed the highest DH (3092.2 μg NH₃ g⁻¹) followed by camel milk IF (1308.16 μg NH₃ g⁻¹) indicating significant hydrolysis of the protein fraction. The fate of proteins and fats after SIGID was also studied using fluorescence microscopy that reflected homogenous breakdown of the proteins and lipid fractions. Furthermore, the effect of SIGID on bioactive properties was also analyzed via antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities) and anti-inflammatory activities. After SIGID, camel IF samples fortified with whey and casein proteins showed superior radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities. The study concludes that camel milk can be a potential alternative for the development of infant formula with additional health benefits.