Meat Quality and Chemical Composition of Alxa Bactrian Camel

The Alxa bactrian camel, as one of the primary breeds in China, contributes significantly to the local dietary structure as a crucial meat source. However, the existing analysis and research on the quality and chemical composition of Alxa bactrian camel meat lack a comprehensive and systematic approach, leading to a substantial lag in the development and utilization of local camel meat products.

To investigate the meat quality characteristics of Alxa bactrian camels, 48 individuals were randomly selected from Desert, Gobi, Desert steppe and Mountainous areas based on their ecological environment. Their meat quality characteristics and chemical compositions were analyzed in two age groups (3~4 ,7~8 years old).

The shear force, fat, energy, iron, manganese, methionine, myristic acid, palmitic acid, vitamin E and hypoxanthine contents of camel meat significantly increased with age, while moisture, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, stearic acid, linoleic acid, cis-11,14,17-dodecatrienoic acid and cis-13,16-docosa-2-dienoic acid contents decreased with age. In comparison to the meat of grass-feeding livestock such as cattle and sheep, Alxa bactrian camel meat is characterized by low cholesterol, low fat, high calcium, high sodium, selenium enrichment and high L-carnitine.