Normal Blood Biochemical Parameters of Dromedary Camel in Pakistan

| The camel is a unique biological model and promising livestock in the climate-change context. Pakistan is one of the hotspot regions severely hit by the calamities of climate-change. The camel is the option hope and future food security livestock for the drought-stricken regions of the country, especially Thal, Cholistan and Thar Deserts. This study was conducted at Camel Breeding and Research Station (CBRS) Rakh-Mahni (Desert Thal) to report the ten normal blood biochemical concentrations of camels in Pakistan. Twelve (6 males and 6 females) camels of Marecha breed were selected for this study. The camels were reared in its natural habitat in Thal desert. The animals were kept in semi-open pens, provided with gram crop residues ad libitum after 8-10 hours grazing. Water was provided twice a day. In blood profile the concentrations of haemoglobin, cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, total protein, urea, creatinine, glucose, Ca and P were determined. Data on different parameters was subjected to descriptive statistical analysis and t test was applied to test significant differences between means at 5% level of significance. The results were compared with those reported by other investigators in camels.


INTRODUCTION
T he studies of blood biochemicals provide ample clue about health status and well-being of an animal so these can be used for evaluating the health condition of animal generally. It could be an interesting tool for monitoring the bill of health in camels (Faraz et al., 2019). Observation of a deviation of certain blood parameters from their normal limits could be a guide for differential diagnosis of diseases. Despite of this fact, a few reports have been published on its blood parameters as affected by some physiological and pathological conditions or on the normal levels of blood constituents of camel calves and adults with regard of their age and physiological status .
The quantitative analysis of blood biochemicals may assist the clinician by providing normal reference values for easy evaluation of the health status and disease condition of animals (Osman et al., 2015). However, these constituents are variable in different climatic, physiological and pathological conditions (Mohamed and Hussein,

AreA oF sTudy
The study was attained at CBRS which is located in Thal Desert between 31°-10' and 32°-22' North-Latitude and 70°-47' and 72° East-Longitude. The area is about sandy deserts having arid-semi-arid, subtropical-continental climate. Temperature upper limit is up to 45.8 ºC while lower is 1.2 °C. The annual mean rainfall ranges between 150 to 350 mm with South-North increase (Rahim et al., 2011). husbANdry ANd FeediNg plAN Twelve (6 males and 6 females) Marecha camels (Camelus dromedarius) around 3 years of age were selected and marked for identification. The animals were dewormed by using injection 1% Ivermectin @ 1ml/50 kg body weight to keep the animals healthy and in well-being state. The animals kept in semi-open pens at the CBRS. Animals were sprayed with Ecofleece solution @ 1cc/liter water for animals and 2cc/liter of water for shed. They were vaccinated for Trypanosomiasis by injection Trypamidium (Samorin) 1 g sachet for 4 camels after every three months as per farm routine practices. The animals were sent to grazing/browsing for 8-10 hours. They were fed gram crop residues (Cicer arientinum) ad libitum as manger feeding. The animals were allowed access to ample drinking water twice a day. Chemical composition of gram straw / herbage samples was performed by using standard procedures as described in AOAC (1990), while NDF and ADF values were determined by standard methods (Van Soest et al., 1991) (Table 2).

blood collecTioN ANd lAborATory ANAlysis
Blood was collected from jugular vein in two sets; with and without EDTA for separation of serum. The samples were checked for haematological and biochemical parameters. Standard kits made by Spin-react-Spain were used to determine haemoglobin (Hb) in BC-2300-Mindray-Germany haematology analyzer while DL-9000-Italy biochemistry analyzer were used to check cholesterol, triglyceride glucose, total protein, albumin, urea and creatinine. Blood samples were digested for mineral analysis in Animal Nutrition Lab, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The 2 ml of plasma was mixed with equal volume of nitric acid in Kjeldhal digestion tube. The samples were kept overnight and then heated over digestion bench at below 90º C up to half. After that 5 ml of double acid mixture containing 3 parts of nitric acid and 1 part of 70% perchloric acid were added to it and again digested, till white fumes emanated and the volume was reduced to 0.5 ml. The digested sample was cooled and diluted to 50 ml with distilled water (Faraz et al., 2018). Ca and P were measured by using atomic-absorption-spectrophotometer (Method 965. 09A; AOAC, 1990) at High Tech Lab, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

sTATisTicAl ANAlysis
Data on parameters were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis (Steel et al., 1997) by using Statistix software version 8.1 and t test was applied to test significant differences between means at 5% level of significance.

RESULTS
The normal concentrations of blood biochemicals like haemoglobin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, Ca and P were determined in study are mentioned in Table 1. All the variables of male and female showed non-significant differences but negating the sexual dimorphism for these variables.

Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences
October 2020 | Volume 8 | Issue 10 | Page 1015 respectively for male and female camels. All values were greater in males than females, males being heavier than females.

miNerAls
The mean values of calcium and phosphorus were found to be 7.05±0.02, 6.25±0.02 and 3.5±0.12, 3.2±0.12 respectively for male and female camels. All values were greater in males than females.

DISCUSSION
Haemoglobin was determined slightly higher in males than females probably due to testosterone effects on kidneys to form more erythropoietin which increases the erythropoiesis as reported by (Murphy, 2014 (Faraz, 2020).
Glucose concentration in camels was reported to be greater than ruminants and which could be the reason of elevated lactic-acid contents in camel blood (Osman and Al-Busadah, 2003). Bhakat et al. (2008) studied blood profile of Indian dromedary calves affected by various systems of management and found triglyceride concentrations as 34.8±3.7 and 19.1±2.9 mg/dl respectively in intensive and semi-intensive management system. In another study of arid western Rajasthan, Saini et al. (2014) determined low values of glucose (P<0.05) in grazing pre-pubertal camels than stall-fed group in pastoral conditions. In a different
The importance of calcium and phosphorus losses in lactating or pregnant adult camels to milk or fetus explains obviously the sex difference in those minerals' status.
Regarding the young camel, the growth of males being globally higher than for females, calcium metabolism under hormonal regulation of thyroid and parathyroid is more active in male than in female (El-Khasmi et al., 2000). Bhakat et al. (2008)

CONCLUSION
The present study has provided a comprehensive biochemical analysis of the major constituents of camels.
All the values were found to be in normal range and the difference with other reported values may be attributed to breed, age, nutrition, husbandry conditions, environment and methods of the assay. These levels could be used in the diagnosis of various diseases and metabolic disorders of the animal. This paper describes the haemoglobin, biochemical blood serum constituents and minerals of male and female Marecha dromedary camels in desert conditions in Pakistan and could be used as primary data base for future studies of this field.