Assessment of some toxic elements (Co, Cr, Mn, Se, and As) in muscle, offal, hair, and blood of camels (Camelus dromedaries) and their risk assessment.

Background: Camel meat tainted with heavy metals or trace elements may pose a health risk to consumers. Heavy metal contamination poses a severe danger due to both their toxicity and bioaccumulation in the food chain. Aim: To estimate the residual levels of heavy metals (Co, Cr, Mn, Se, and As) in muscle, liver, kidney, hair, and serum of three camel breeds (Magaheem, Maghateer, and Wadha) collected from Al-Omran abattoir, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 225 tissue samples (muscles, liver, kidney, serum, and hair) were taken and analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Health risk assessment was assessed using the guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results: Camel breed significantly (p < 0.05) influences Co, Cr, Mn, and Se accumulation and distribution in organs and muscle; however, arsenic accumulation was not significantly affected (p < 0.05) by camel breeds. The highest values of Co, Cr, Se, and Mn in all examined samples were detected in the liver samples of Maghateer and Magaheem breeds. Furthermore, significant strong positive correlation between serum and liver cobalt, chromium, manganese, and arsenic. The estimated daily intake owing to camel meat consumption was less than the tolerated daily intake. Conclusion: Heavy metals were distributed among different breeds of camel. Trace elements (Pb and Cd) in meat and offal were below the international maximum permissible limit. The correlation between samples reflects the role of hair as a good tool for the identification of heavy metal pollution.

Prevalence and antibiogram of shigatoxinproducing E. coli in camel meat and offal.

Background: Camels are important animals in Egypt and other Arab countries on the basis of their economic value and ethnic culture. Escherichia coli is implicated in several gastrointestinal infections and outbreaks worldwide, especially in developing countries. It causes infections that might lead to death. Numerous biological activities, such as antioxidative, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and diuretic, are associated with coriander and coriander essential oils. Aim: This work targeted investigation of the prevalence, antibiogram, and occurrence of virulence genes of E. coli in camel meat liver and kidney. Besides, the anti-E. coli activity of coriander oil was further examined. Methods: Camel meat, liver, and kidneys were collected from local markets in Egypt. Isolation and identification of E. coli were performed. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the obtained E. coli isolates was screened using the disk diffusion assay. To detect the presence of virulence-associated genes (stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hylA gens), polymerase chain reaction was used. An experimental trial was done to investigate the anti-E. coli activity of coriander oil. Results: The obtained results revealed isolation of the following E. coli pathotypes: O17:H18, O128:H2, O119:H6, O103:H4, O145:H-, and O121:H7. The recovered E. coli isolates practiced multidrug resistance profiling with higher resistance toward Erythromycin, Nalidixic Acid, Clindamycin, and Ampicillin. However, the isolates were sensitive to Meropenem and cefoxitin. The recovered isolates had expressed different virulence attributes. Coriander oil of 2% could significantly reduce E. coli O128 count in camel meat by 65%. Conclusion: Therefore, strict hygienic measures are highly recommended during the processing of camel meat. The use of coriander oil during camel meat processing is highly recommended to reduce E. coli count.