Effect of lairage time on stress in dromedary camels "Camelus dromedarius" from the El-Oued region (Algeria) and its impact on meat quality.

The effect of lairage time on animal stress and its impact on meat quality were evaluated on 14 male dromedaries of the Sahraoui population, raised in the El-Oued region, aged from 12 to 18 months. The animals were divided into two groups according to the lairage time: from 1 to 8 h (G01) and for 48 to 96 h (G02). At the end of the holding period, physiological stress parameters were measured (heart rate, rectal temperature, cortisol, creatine phosphokinase, and glucose levels). Longissimus Lumborum muscle taken at 24 h postmortem was used to assess meat quality parameters (pH, moisture, dry matter and mineral content, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, myoglobin content, myofibrillar fragmentation index and the electrophoretic profiles of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins). Only cortisol level and pH showed a significant difference between the two groups. Negative correlations were observed between cortisol and both pH and cooking loss. Principal component analysis showed that animals subjected to short-time lairage were characterized by high cortisol and plasma glucose levels and meat with low pH, mineral content, and moisture. The data suggest that controlling the lairage period in terms of duration and conditions is essential for ensuring consistent and high-quality dromedary meat.