**3. Chemical composition and nutritive value of camel milk**

 Concurrently with the growing interest in foods that, in addition to their nutritional values, have physiological benefits, the attention toward camel milk is notably increasing [10]. The specific composition of camel milk makes it a promising alternative to bovine milk. Compared with the milk produced by other ruminants, camel milk is mainly valued for its better digestibility in the human gastrointestinal system due to the smallest milk-fat globules and its hypoallergenic properties [11]. As in human milk, dromedary camel and Bactrian camel milk do not contain β-lactoglobulins. There are no reports concerning allergy indicators possessed by these milks. Therefore, α-lactalbumin is the main whey protein in camel milk whereas this protein constitutes only 25% of the total whey proteins in cow milk [12]. Also, the fat globules in camel milk are the smallest among all ruminants, and they do not naturally aggregate due to the absence of agglutinin [9]. Consequently, camel milk can easily be digested and safely consumed by people with weak immune systems or lactose intolerance and can be considered a valid substitute to

 bovine milk for children more than 2 years old [13, 14]. Moreover, camel milk has lower amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates compared to bovine milk [15, 16]. Milk is one of the major contributors to saturated fatty acid (SFA) and unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) intake. The SFA content of milk has received much attention due to its association with the increased cholesterol level in the plasma and subsequently the cardiovascular disease risk. However, the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are known to be a healthy cardioprotective type of fat [17]. Interestingly, the SFA content of Bactrian camel milk (average 50/100 g total FA) and dromedary camel milk (average 60/100 g total FA) is lower and slightly lower than that of cow milk, respectively. The MUFA content in dromedary camel milk (56–80/100 g total FAs) is higher than in cow milk (26/100 g total FAs) [18]. This fact may have beneficial effects on consumers with cardiovascular disease risk. Camel milk has higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals. Its richness in vitamins, especially vitamin C (24–52 mg/kg) which is 3–5 times and 1.5 times higher than bovine and human milk, respectively, gives this milk a great significance in arid areas where green foods are not easily available [19]. Bactrian camel milk is a source of vitamin A (approximately twice that in cow milk) and is high in vitamin D and riboflavin. Two cups of camel milk supply 160% of the recommended nutrient intake of vitamin D (5 μg/day) and 0.5 mg/day of riboflavin [20]. In addition, this milk could provide the most of nutritional mineral requirements of humans due to its mineral content being almost similar to that of human milk [9]. Compared to goat and cow, it contains 55% more zinc, an essential trace element considered as the limiting dietary growth nutrient in populations suffering from deficiencies in micronutrients [21].
