Title : Blood and meat indicators of preslaughter stress in camels
Abstract:
The welfare of dromedaries before and during slaughter influences their homeostasis as well as the organoleptic characteristics, quality, and shelf life of their meat. The dromedary, a large and difficult animal to handle, faces a shortage of suitable transport vehicles, equipment, and the absence of animal welfare standards in most countries. From the farm or market to the slaughterhouse, the dromedary camel is subjected to more stressful handling compared to other livestock. This study explores the physiological, biochemical, and hormonal responses to stress induced by the various stages of handling the dromedary and environmental heat before slaughter, through the analysis of numerous specific and reliable indicators in blood and meat. Loading, transport, stocking density, journey time, unloading, waiting time at the slaughterhouse, environmental heat, deprivation of water and food, and the slaughter procedure are the main stressors for this species. This stressfull factors increased significantly glucose, lactate, cortisol, transaminases, hemolysis, neutrophile: lymphocyte ration, malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased significantly the enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), glutathion peroxidase (GSHPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum. The same factors increased significantly ultimate pH, exsudation, cooking loss, carbonyls and sulfhydryls in meat. These results revealed that the dromeday is more susceptible to the handling and environment stress and oxidant stress, which can alter his homeostasis and meat quality, potentially endangering animal health and, consequently, public health and food safety. Given the lack or total absence of legislation on the welfare of dromedaries in most countries that practice the breeding and consumption of dromedary meat, the development of specific laws and regulations dealing with this issue remains essential, particularly with regard to the transport, handling, deprivation of water and food, housing and slaughter of dromedaries.
