Processing-Induced Modifications of Camel Milk Immunoglobulins and Lactoferrin: Implications for Immunocompromised Pediatric Populations and Therapeutic Applications

TL;DR

Camel milk contains beneficial proteins that can help immunocompromised children, but processing methods can damage these proteins, affecting their health benefits.

Contribution

The paper systematically reviews how processing affects camel milk proteins and proposes alternatives to preserve their bioactivity.

Findings

Thermal treatments reduce the bioactivity of camel milk proteins.

Non-thermal methods like HPP and pulsed electric fields may preserve protein function.

More research is needed to optimize processing for both safety and bioactivity.

Abstract

Immunocompromised pediatric populations (children with inborn errors of immunity, HIV infection, and cancer, as well as those undergoing hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation) have severe nutritional challenges, with malnutrition depending on the underlying condition. Camel milk (CM) represents a culturally accessible, high-quality nutritional parameter and functional food naturally enriched with particular immunological components such as heavy-chain antibodies that represent 75% of total immunoglobulins (IGs) and lactoferrin (LF) at a concentration 3–5 times higher than bovine milk (BM). However, there is a critical processing paradox: the thermal treatments required for the microbiological safety of immunosuppressed children who show a 20-fold greater susceptibility to foodborne pathogens degrade the therapeutic bioactive proteins. This comprehensive review provides a systematic evaluation of processing-induced modifications of CM IGs and LF, which involve thermal and non-thermal technologies, and their effects on the molecular structure and biological function. Emerging alternatives such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields, and strategic fermentation show promising bioactivity retention without compromising safety. Critical knowledge gaps remain in the structure–function relationships of processed CM proteins, necessitating evidence-based optimization strategies to balance microbiological safety with clinically relevant immunomodulatory functions for vulnerable pediatric populations.

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