Extraction of camel rennet and its comparison with calf rennet extract

Abstract

Camel rennet was extracted from camel calf aboma- sa by the method used for bovine rennet. The clotting activity was determined during extraction and activa- tion. Both camel and cow abomasa extracts were frac- tioned and the clotting activity of the fractions com- pared. Camel rennet coagulated camel milk slightly faster than cow milk, while calf rennet extract coagu- lated camel milk less readily than cow milk. The chy- mosin fraction of calf rennet showed weak activity on camel milk while the pepsin fraction coagulated the same much more readily than cow milk. The first fraction of camel rennet coagulated cow and camel milk equally well, whereas the second fraction showed higher clotting activity with camel milk. It is concluded that the coagulation of camel milk by calf rennet is primarily due to the pepsin content of the calf rennet. The reported large variations in the ability of bovine rennet in coagulating camel milk can be explained by the differing pepsin content of the rennet used. Camel milk should therefore be coagulated with camel rennet or pepsin.