The SOAS Camel
Conference 2013
An international conference held at the
School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS, London]
29-30 April 2013
_________________
This is
an archive site for the storage of papers presented at our 2013 Camel Conference.
The full
archive of all papers from 2010 to the present day can be found at www.geocities.ws/soascamelconference
Copyright
of all papers rests with the authors.
Only blue
links are active. This is a work in progress.
NOTE FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Currently full papers are posted for the
following speakers marked in highlight: Khalid Mahmood
Aujla – Adel A.M. Aulaqi – K.A. El-Bahrawy – Doug Baum –
Keireine Canavan / Ali Alnajadah – Maurizio Dioli – M. Taghi Farvar – Sarah C.
Fox – John
Hare – D.J.U. Kalla /A.M.Abdussamad – Heather Longhorn – Yohannes Mehari – Davide
Monaco – M. Salehi – M.G. Smits
– F. Turri
– Abdul Raziq
_____________________________________________
2013 Conference [Conference held in London]:
1. Programme of the 2013 conference [Download PDF of programme]
2. Marketing systems of live-camel and
camel products in the desert ecologies of Pakistan
Khalid Mahmood Aujla [Pakistan Agricultural Research Council]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
3. Ed's Stone - The story of an enterolith
Adel A.M. Aulaqi [SOAS]
[Link to
abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
4. Factors affecting camel breeders'
knowledges and their acceptability to related modern technologies in some
districts of Matrouh Governorate
K.A. El-Bahrawy [Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt] et al.
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
5. The Camel Saddle: A Study
Doug Baum [Texas Camel Corps]
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
6. Camels and the humble tassel
Keireine Canavan / Ali Alnajadah [Cardiff Metropolitan University:
Cardiff School of Art & Design]
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
7. A pictorial review of traditional husbandry
methods: 16 ways to stop a camel calf to suckle his mother at will
Maurizio Dioli [Independent researcher]
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
8. Indigenous camel herders in Iran -a
story of conservation, resilience and re-empowerment
M. Taghi Farvar [ICCA Consortium, and Centre for Sustainable
Development (CENESTA), Iran] et al.
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
9. The Camel in pre-Roman and Roman
Tunisia: A critical re-assessment of archaeological evidence and new
discoveries
Sarah C. Fox [Independent researcher]
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
10. The wild camel - future prospects
John Hare [Wild Camel Protection Foundation]
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
11. Refocusing on the dromedary: A
photographic account of its virtues and contribution to food security in the
Nigeria-Niger corridor
D.J.U. Kalla and A.M.Abdussamad
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
https://www.soas.ac.uk/camelconference2013/file89774.pdf
12. Establishing the relationship between
infrared images and heart rate as a potential indicator of metabolic activity
in the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Heather Longhorn [University of Guelph, Canada]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
13. Indigenous knowledge of pastoralists
on camel in Jijiga zone of the Somali region, Ethiopia
Yohannes Mehari [Independent researcher] et al.
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
14. Promotion of innovative systems in
Camel breeding for sustainable development in Egypt and Tunisia: The ENPI CBC
MED 'PROCAMED' project
Davide Monaco [University of Bari] et al.
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
15. Study of camel production system and
hair processing in Iran
M. Salehi [Agricultural Research & Education Organization,
Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Iran] et al.
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
16. Camel milk for diabetes and cow's milk
allergy: Present knowledge and future prospects
M.G. Smits [European Camel Research Society]
[Link
to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
17. Conservation of camel genetic resources:
Epididymal sperm recovery
F. Turri [Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology,
Lodi, Italy] et al. [Poster presentation]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
18.
Camel Milk Production Potential in Challenging Environments
Abdul Raziq
[Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS),
Pakistan] [To be confirmed]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
ABSTRACT: This study was
designed to examine the marketing systems of live-camels and camel products in
the desert ecologies of Pakistan. Two hundred and twenty camel farmers and
forty market intermediaries were randomly interviewed for data collection for
this study. During the span of last one year, sale of live camels was reported
by more than half of the camel farmers. High marketing cost and lack of proper
market infrastructure compels farmers to sell camels to the village dealers and
fellow farmers at relatively low prices. Percent difference in prices at
wholesale market and village levels were 28.6, 12.9, 6.0 and 0.5 for adult
male, milch female, non-milking female and young stock respectively. Most of
the camel byproducts are either consumed at home or exchanged. Thus proper
camel milk, meat, hides and hair markets do not exist in the country. However,
there is huge difference in prices of camel byproducts in cases of sales to
village dealers and direct sales to town shopkeepers. The prevailing marketing
situation of live camels and its products is an indicative of exploitation of
the camel farmers in the hands of the village dealers/market intermediaries. It
is, therefore, recommended that the proper marketing system and structure for
live camels and camel products should be developed to benefit the poor camel
farmers.
CV: Dr. Khalid Mahmood
Aujla earned B.Sc (Hons) and M.S (Hons) degrees in Agricultural Economics from the
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan and a Ph.D. degree in
Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA. Working
for national and international institutions as an Agricultural Economist and
Program Planning/Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, Dr. Aujla has had a
distinguished career spanning over 27 years. He has vast experience of
conducting socioeconomic research, specifically in mountainous, desert, and
coastal areas of Pakistan. He has expertise in regional development, policy
analysis, project planning, appraisal, review, monitoring and evaluation and
conducting impact assessment studies. He has more than 70 publications on his
credit.
Principal
Scientific Officer, Social Sciences Division, Pakistan Agricultural Research
Council, Islamabad, Pakistan.
[Top]
At
the last Camel Conference held in May 2011 at SOAS the organiser, Mr. Ed Emery,
placed on the panels’ table a camel’s skull and a rather heavy, smooth-surface
egg-shaped object. Ed maintained it came out of a Bactrian camel in Toronto
Zoo. It sat on his relative’s table as an unusual paper weight.
This short paper will present the results of investigating the nature of Ed’s
stone by serial X-rays revealing its intricate layered nature and by chemical
and histological analyses. It will briefly explore its origins and some of the
possible “myths” surrounding such stones found in animals including man.
Without the gratefully-received support of radiology by Mark Woodhouse and that
of Drs Ian Walker and Daniel Tsang for biochemical and histological analyses
respectively this paper would not have materialised.
[Top]
ABSTRACT: Camel razing in Egypt
is categorized as one of the most ancient extensive breeding systems for
livestock, the main obstacle in modernizing of camel raising system, is that
the camel breeders themselves don’t believe in that goal. In their sole
believe, is in what they are accustomed to do as inherited practices for camel
production system form their grandparents. They have a strong undeniable
believe that experiencing new technologies is considered a great challenge,
which may drag them into unknown hazardous consequence results. That is a main
constrain in the development of camel raising system. Great efforts should be
started for changing nomads’ habitats. Leading to a major significant
alteration in their nomadic nature to convince them for adopting & replacing
modern breeding technologies instead of their old traditional practices. In
this manner, this study was conducted in some districts of Matrouh governorate
to determine the acceptability of camel breeders to some modern technologies.
Additionally to predict further obstacles which may affect application of such
technologies in field from the breeders’ point of view. It is believed that
results of the present investigation gives a futuristic overview in planning an
extension program for field application that could be applied in other similar
nomadic areas to enhance camel herds’ productivity.
(1) Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.
(2) Faculty of Agriculture,
Alexandria University, Egypt.
(3) Sustainable Developing
Center For Matrouh Resources, Egypt.
[Top]
ABSTRACT: The Camel Saddle: A
Study attempts to put into perspective the history, development, and
utilization of camel saddles from around the world. While many types of camel
saddles exist across all camel regions, five from the Arabian camel realm
(parts of Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent) and two from the
Bactrian realm (Central Asia) will be the primary areas of study.
An
effort by the author to chronicle the full breadth of the subject is in
progress, and these seven saddle styles have been purposely chosen to represent
the variety of design from culture to culture- design based on natural resources
and specific use patterns served by such technology. These disparate camel
saddle styles as well as their equally localized adornment are, heretofore,
unstudied subjects. As such, The Camel Saddle: A Study will also employ
photographic illustration contextualizing the various saddles both as
functional tools, necessary for harnessing the energy of the camel, and also as
cultural expressions and objets d'art.
Camel
Historian/Specialist
123 County Road 3360
Valley Mills, Texas 76689
U.S.A.
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
ABSTRACT: Al-Sadu is an ancient,
endangered Bedouin tribal textile technique. It is a weaving craft that conveys
the Arabian nomadic peoples’ rich cultural heritage and instinctive expression
of natural beauty. Semiotic meanings of woven figurative and geometric patterns
and symbols portray the women weaver’s creativity and message tribal lifestyle,
wealth and the skill of the master-weaver or dhefra, (meaning victorious). The
sadu textiles and practice are rhythmically linked to poetry, memory, the
extension of the hand, and the graceful moving pace of the camel.
In
the past Bedouin tribes depended heavily upon camels for their nomadic
lifestyle; for transportation and survival, while women weavers wove decorative
textiles for shelter and displayed their aesthetics appreciation for their
camel herds. Camels also provided food and hair for yarn making, urine for
mordanting dyes, and creative inspiration for figurative symbolism.
A
paper entitled ‘The Association between Bedouin Al Sadu Weaving and the Camel’
was delivered at the SOAS Camel Conference in 2011, and discussed the weaving
al-Sadu technique and the use of the camel symbols in the past, with current
developments of new camel decorations.
This
paper will discuss recent collaborative research in Kuwait, Middle East, and
include the declining oral history of the women weavers, and the semiotic
meanings within the material culture of woven camel trappings and
ornamentations. The focus will be upon the wasms or camel branding tattoo
symbols that inspire and create a complex, archaic visual language of ownership
and tribal respect, and which are coded in highly prized, woven sadu textiles.
CV: Keireine Canavan is
currently Head of Textiles and Principal Lecturer at Cardiff School of Art
& Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University UK and Research Fellow to Al-Sadu
Weaving Society, Kuwait. She is a founder member and Project Director of DIGIT
Textile Research group and a member of the International Super-research Group,
WIRAD.
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
ABSTRACT: The main purpose of
camel keeping is to provide milk. In a pastoral nomadic environment it is
essential for the nomad household survival to maximize milk off-take for human
consumption from lactating animals. During the course of millennia camel
keepers have developed many different methods to prevent a calf to suckle his
mother at will. This paper shows and explains 16 traditional methods used by
pastoralists of various ethnic groups in the Horn of Africa and Middle East.
.
CV: Italian veterinarian (DVM,MSc,DVetMed,MRCVS) who since 1981 has
worked and learned about camels with nomadic camel pastoralists in Kenya, Sudan,
Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Algeria (Western Sahara), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Yemen, UAE, Iran. Recipient (2007) of the Award ”Distinguished Camel Scientist”
by the College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Rajasthan University, Bikaner,
India. Author of: Dioli, M. (2007). Pictorial Guide to Traditional Management,
Husbandry and Diseases of the One-Humped Camel. Photographic CD-ROM. and of
Schwartz, H. J., Dioli, M. (1992). The one-humped camel in Eastern Africa. A
pictorial guide to diseases, health care and management. Margraf Scientific
Book Berlin, 282pp
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
ABSTRACT: Iran's camel herders –
in the context and history of indigenous nomadic tribes – have been subjected
to policies of neglect, marginalisation, fragmentation and dispossession of
their ancestral domains in the past century by governments of all three
contemporary political systems (Reza Shah, Mohammed Reza Shah and most
post-revolutionary governments of Iran). Such policies have included:
· Forced and/or induced sedentarisation of nomadic pastoralists, including camel herding peoples;
· Special tribal schools the content of which have been designed to alienate the children from their traditional ways of life and to disdain nomadism, seasonal migration and livestock herding;
· Alienation and dispossession of the lands and ancestral domains through nationalisation and privatisation;
· Accusation of the camel as destructive of nature and its resources;
· Favouring of enclosed camel keeping and discouragement of its extensive herding;
· Destocking of livestock populations;
· Transfer of alien techniques totally inappropriate to local context, including misguided "ranching schemes".
Despite such a negative policy environment the camel herders and along with them many of the indigenous nomadic tribes are organising themselves through reviving customary governance systems and the promotion of indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCAs) over their ancestral domains. As they get organised, their voice is being taken more seriously.
CV: Taghi Farvar has PhD
in Ecology and Social Sciences. Based in the Centre for Sustainable
Development, Tehran, he is former Vice Rector of Avicenna University in Iran,
and the President of the ICCA Consortium, Switzerland. Son of an indigenous
nomadic tribe in Azerbaijan, he is engaged in defending the rights of
indigenous peoples over their ancestral domains. He has some 40 years of
experience as field worker, researcher, trainer, organiser, policy-maker and
civil society activist in conservation of biodiversity resources and poverty
eradication and the management of common property resources.
_______________________
1
President, ICCA Consortium (www.iccaconsortium.org) and Chair of the Centre for
Sustainable Development (CENESTA: www.cenesta.org), Tehran.
2
Executive Director, CENESTA.
3
Advisor on Natural Resource Management and Agroforestry, CENESTA.
4
Programme Officer, CENESTA.
5
Programme Officer for UNINOMAD/UNICAMEL/CENESTA.
6
Programme Officer for UNINOMAD/UNICAMEL/CENESTA.
7
UNICAMEL is the Union of Indigenous Camel Herders of Iran.
8
UNINOMAD is the Union of Indigenous Nomadic Tribes of Iran.
[Top]
ABSTRACT: The question of the presence
of Camelus dromedarius in Tunisia before the Roman period has been much debated
and the most common conclusion, proposed by researchers such as Brogan and
Bulliet, is that the dromedary was not present in Tunisia until the Romans
introduced it and that even then it was relatively unimportant. However,
researchers have not critically re-examined the primary data and have not
adequately accessed more recent archaeological finds; many of which are
unpublished or are published in Arabic.
In
my paper I will be showing how an interdisciplinary approach is needed to
re-assess the presence of camels in pre-Roman and Roman Tunisia. I will look at
biometrical analyses of fossil and modern camel specimens and show how the
robust nature of the camel bones may be due to a bias in the collected data. I
will present a database of archaeological evidence for camels in Tunisia and
will reveal that although all the literature states that there are no
prehistoric depictions of camels in Tunisia this may no longer be the case. In
conclusion, this paper will critically examine the presence and importance of
the camel in pre-Roman and Roman Tunisia and will shed new light on the
neglected issue of camel domestication in North Africa.
CV: Sarah holds a BA in Archaeology
and an MSc (Morphological Adaptations to Diet in Extant Suids); both from the
University of Liverpool. She was a lecturer at the University of Tunis for four
years and spent her holidays living with camel herders in Southern Tunisia. In
2011 she gained an Advanced Diploma from the University of Cambridge (The Camel
in Tunisia: Human Society, Economy and Culture from 10,000 B.C. to Historic
times). She is a team member of the University of Cambridge ArchaeoLink and
continues to carry out part time research into the archaeology of rural
Tunisia.
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
ABSTRACT: John Hare will outline
the work that is currently underway in China and Mongolia to protect their
populations of wild camels. He will emphasise current threats in both countries
and how his charity, the Wild Camel Protection Foundation is combating these
threats nationally and internationally. He will also give details of the first
release of wild camels from the WCPF breeding centre in Mongolia, which will
take place in September of this year. Further information will be given of an
international awareness-raising programme to make people aware of the
remarkable wild camel and its struggle to survive in the Gobi desert,
[Top]
ABSTRACT: As concerns rise over
global climate change altering the biomes, and the possibility of spreading
desertification, there is the potential for the camel to become a very
prominent and successful livestock species worldwide. The goal of the present
research is to provide a simpler method of measuring metabolic activity in the
dromedary camel and to determine the major route of heat dissipation within
this species. Eight camels were equipped with heart rate monitors on moderately
active and low activity days. Thermal images, heart rate readings, ambient air
temperature, humidity, wind speed and the presence of direct solar radiation
were recorded. The results of a random regression demonstrated that, of the
areas observed, the surface temperature of the thigh was the most closely
associated with heart rate. The thigh and lower abdomen were also noted as
being the largest continuous areas of heat loss based on infrared images, while
the axilliary region demonstrated the greatest increase in heat dissipation as
activity and ambient air temperature increased. These results exhibit positive
evidence for further research into the use of infrared images as predictors of
metabolic activity in dromedary camels.
CV: I graduated with an
honours degree in Zoology from the University of Guelph in 2011. In 2012, I
graduated with a master's degree in Animal Science from the Department of
Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Guelph. During the Spring of
2012, I took over as Head Keeper at the Bowmanville Zoo, and was able to learn
how to handle their group of dromedary camels in order to conduct my research.
[Top]
ABSTRACT: The dromedary camel (Camelus
dromedarius) was domesticated primarily as a beast of burden and still
occupies a valuable economic and ecological niche in arid and semi arid
agriculture. Dromedary rearing is a common activity in the Nigeria – Niger
border areas. The importance of dromedaries in the study area arises primarily
from its provision of milk and meat within the subsistence economy. The camel
can be used for transportation of belongings when pastoral families relocate to
new areas and also in fetching water to pastoral homesteads for household
utilization. Other uses include complementary roles in ploughing farm lands and
transporting farm produce thereby guaranteeing social harmony between crop and
animal farmers. With the aid of photographs and informal interviews, this paper
focuses on the virtues, contributions, challenges and future prospects of camel
production in the study area. It also suggests ways to harness the potentials
of the dromedary to ensure food security and environmental sustainability.
CV: Demo Joab Usman KALLA
(BSc, MSc and PhD Animal Science) is a senior lecturer and team leader of the
Camel Research Group. His research interests include camel physiology with bias
on reproduction, nutrition and welfare. Current project: “The potential use of
some plant wax compounds (n-alkanes, long chain fatty alcohols and long chain
fatty acids) as camel diet composition markers”.
CV: Abdussamad Muhammad
ABDUSSAMAD (DVM, MAgric) is a lecturer with the Department of Animal Science,
Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and currently on PhD study fellowship at the
Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany. His research interests are
adaptation physiology and livestock production systems with emphasis on camels,
domestic ruminants and the giant African land snails.
*Camel
Research Group, Animal Production Programme, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University,
P.M.B.0248, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria 740001
E-mail: [email protected]
**
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University, PMB
3011, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
ABSTRACT: The “Procamed Project”
is a research project included in the operational framework of the European
Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) of the "Mediterranean Sea
Basin Programme". The program aims at reinforcing cooperation between the
European Union (EU) and partner countries regions placed along the shores of
the Mediterranean Sea.
Its
objective aims to find responses to the main limits of the camel sector in arid
and semiarid lands: low productivity of the camel breeding system, low
quality/value of its productions (milk, meat, leather, hair), degradation of
pastures, lack of innovation on the production system, poor research on
products innovation and lack of durable and innovative production/market
chains.
Four
Research Institutes are involved in the project: CIRAD (Centre de Coopération
Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, France), IRA
(Institut des Régions Arides - Laboratoire d’élevage et de la faune sauvage,
Tunisia), DRC (Desert Research Center, Egypt) and D.E.T.O. (University of Bari,
Italy).
The
project is contributing to the targets of the program, i.e. the
promotion of socio-economic development and enhancement of territories by
supporting innovation and research for promoting the local development process
of Mediterranean Sea Basin Countries.
*Corresponding
author
______________________
[1]
Department of Emergency and Organs Transplantation (D.E.T.O.), Section of
Veterinary Clinic and animal Productions, University of Bari, Italy;
[2] Desert Research Center (DRC), Artificial Insemination
Lab. Alexandria, Egypt;
[3] Institut des Régions Arides (IRA), Laboratoire
d’élevage et de la Faune Sauvage, Medenine, Tunisia;
[4] Centre de Coopération Internationale en
Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, (CIRAD), Montpellier, France.
[Top]
ABSTRACT: To preserve and
utilize natural resources appropriately and accurately, it is necessary to
first consider the development of knowledge in the field of natural resources
and their restoring as well as selection of the proper animals for grazing in
the pastures. Since almost all Iran pastures are categorized into medium
(41.4%) and poor, unproductive and relatively salty (48.2) pastures, it is
difficult to choose domesticated livestock suitable for breeding in these
regions in which nothing grows but salt-growing, bland and thorny plants.
Economical capabilities of camel's products, including meat in providing a part
of protein needs of urban and rural societies; providing a part of raw
materials of textile industry including skin and fibers; and also providing a
part of work force in agriculture will provide enough motivation for
researchers, who think about alternative agriculture or stable agriculture, and
will justify the execution of research projects in the field of productivity
specially fibers product of this animal.
Thus,
attempts in the field of knowing this product in terms of different production
regions in the state and differences generated in the quality of these fibers
according to various management and breeding cases and its important role in
grading and categorizing are of the cases that can be useful in standardization
of raw fibers and resultant merchandise. Moreover, paying attention to maintain
rural handicrafts resulted from this initial material, developing and improving
weaving methods in rural levels of desert areas which help produce the side
incomes is of great importance in this respect.
Therefore,
current camel production and hair consumption studies were undertaken using
field method and questioner form was completed by 23 camel owned and 2 small
local cottage industries from 8 provinces of Iran. Results indicated that in some
providence (Khorasan, Boushher, Semnan and some areas of Sistan &
Balucestan), camel hair is sheared using double blade hand shearing device. In
other providences (Hormozgan, Golestan and some areas of Sistan &
Baluchestan) camel calves are sheared even through these calves are sold
without shearing. In many areas of Iran, including Sistan & Baluchestan,
Kerman, Hormozgan, adult camels are sheared infrequently and camel calves are
sheared in the beginning year (April), but in Semnan, Golestan and Khorasn
providences shearing takes place in mid to late spring (late April and May).
Most hair sheared is used locally by farmers. Dehaird cashmere is double price
of raw hair and the special cashmere for making Abaya is four times higher than
the raw hair.
Other
uses for camel hair are to make carpet, tent, rope and gloves but it is
commonly used to make Abaya in certain area such as Naien, Boushehr and
Khozestan. Presently the Abaya in these areas is subsiding due to
social-economic reasons. Camel milk and meat is sold rarely and is mainly used
by camel owners. One reason for this is the distance from meat abattoirs and
centers. Main income of camel farming is from selling camel calves at the age
of one or two years old.
CV: I have been member of
science of Animal Science Research Institute (Animal Product Department) from
1983 and also member of ISOCARD. I have done 3 projects and 1 national research
project about camels especially on fiber, skin and leather of camels (Camelus
dromedarius
and bactrianus of Iran). I have 50 published papers for these in
journals and proceedings.
*
Department
of Animal Products Animal Science Research Institute
Agricultural Research & Education Organization, Ministry of
Jihad-e-Agriculture
Tehran, Iran
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
[Top]
ABSTRACT: Background: To
summarize the present knowledge of the health claims of camel milk as to
diabetes and cow’s milk allergy we searched PubMed database for relevant
studies and report ongoing human studies.
Results:
An epidemiological study showed a much lower prevalence of diabetes in an area
with mainly camel milk consumption than in an area with mainly cow’s milk
consumption. In Diabetes I patients camel milk intake resulted in improved
blood glucose levels while less insulin was needed. Furthermore 0.5 liter camel
milk consumption once induced lower glucose responses than cow’s milk.
Camel
milk was a good alternative for cow’s milk in patients with severe cow’s milk
allergy. The characteristics of tunnel-frozen, home-frozen and camel milk
powder did not differ from those of fresh raw camel milk. The glycaemic index
(GI) of camel milk is lower than that of cow’s milk. The GI of fresh camel milk
and spray-dried camel milk powder did not differ. In the Netherlands a clinical
randomized controlled trial (RCT) in patients with proven cow’s milk allergy is
going and an RCT in diabetes Type I and II is being prepared. The interim
results will be presented.
CV: M.G. Smits is the
coordinator of Dutch Camel (milk) research. He is Director of Research of the
Dutch Camel Dairy, in Berlicum, the Netherlands (www.kamelenmelk.nl).
Furthermore he is neurologist at the Gelderse Vallei Hospital in Ede and is
involved in several studies on health aspects of nutrition, performed together
with Wageningen University & Research Centre.
As
chairman of the European Camel Research society he is involved in the
stimulation of research of all aspects of camels and their products in Europe.
[Top]
ABSTRACT: Camels represent part of
the Arab heritage. The interest in developing assisted reproductive
technologies and cryobanking for the conservation of animal genetic resources
has recently increased. However, semen collections in camelids present many
problems as sitting position during copulation, slow ejaculation and difficult
animal handling. In these cases epididymal sperm from slaughtered or recently
died animals will increase the opportunities to create semen storages. The
present work was designed for assess motility of camel epididymal sperm
extended in Ovixcell® and in Tris-fructose-egg yolk semen extender. Spermatozoa
were extracted from 16 epididymides using the retrograde flushing technique,
washing sperm cells in a retrograde direction from the ductus deferens through
the cauda epididymidis with a syringe loaded with warmed (37°C) extender. Total
motility was evaluated after 15 minute of incubation in a water bath at 37°C
under phase-contrast microscopy using a pre-warmed (37°C) Makler Chamber. Total
motility was similar in Ovixcell® or Tris-fructose-egg yolk semen extender
(52.8 ± 0.7% vs 41.22 ± 33.56%, respectively). Further studies aiming to the
test the fertilizing capacity should be carried out in order to confirm the
optimal testicles storage condition for the creation of semen cryo storages in
camels.
CV: Federica Turri, Phd in
Animal Science in 2012, post-doc position at Institute of Agricultural Biology
and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Lodi, Italy.
Fields of activities: semen and epididymal sperm collection, evaluation and
cryopreservation in bull, camel, goat, pig and sheep species, for the creation
of farm animal genetic resources cryobank to preserve animal biodiversity.
1
Institute
of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, Lodi Unit, National Research
Council, c/o Parco Tecnologico Padano, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
2 Department of Animal Reproduction and
Artificial Insemination, Veterinary Research Division, National Research
Centre, Dokki 12622, Cairo, Egypt
[Top]
______________________
For further information
about the conference, write to the conference organiser: [email protected]
William Gervase Clarence-Smith, Conference chair
Ed Emery, Conference
organiser
__________________________
Memories of previous conferences: See the album of the two Bactrians visiting SOAS in 2013:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/soas.su/photos/?tab=album&album_id=642600329088036
___________________________________
Web design: Universitas adversitatis
Last updated: 9 August 2017