Anti-schistosomal activity of colostral and mature camel milk on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice

The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-schistosomal activity of colostral and mature camel milk on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice. Six weeks post infection, mean percentage of protection was detected through the hepatic portal vein. Glutathione-s-transferase (GST), alanine, aspartate transaminase (ALT and AST) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were detected in sera of treated mice before and after infection. Antischistosomal activity of colostral and mature camel milk on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice were 12.81% and 31.60% respectively. The results showed that GST levels in sera of mice fed on colostral and mature camel milk were increased with mean values of 0.070, 0.108, 0.128 and 0.120 in colostral milk groups and 0. 072, 0.085, 0.166 and 0.20 in mature camel milk groups compared with the mice fed on basal diet with means values of 0.070, 0.085, 0.078 and 0.069 before infection and after two, four and six weeks of infection, respectively. On the other hand, there were slight differences on ALT and AST activities. Mice treated with colostral and mature milk (200 (mu)l/day) showed an immunostimulatory effect by inducing IgG titers against soluble worm antigen preparation (SWAP) compared with control. Nevertheless, the difference was not considered significant (0.31 +- 0.1) for colostrum (0.34 +- 0.1) and for mature milk, as compared to normal control (0.2 +- 0.04). Two, four and six weeks post infection, IgG level showed no significant change in sera from mice treated with colostral and mature milk as compared to control. In conclusion, colostral and mature camel milk showed an immunomodualatory effect in normal healthy mice by inducing IgG and GST levels before and after infection with Schistosoma mansoni. Colostral and mature camel milk have a protective response against schistosomiasis.