Histochemical Studies on Muscle Fibres of Camel and Determination of the Proportions of Muscle Fibre Types from Selected Muscles of the Forelimb: A Comparative Study of Cattle (Bos taurus indicus) and One-humped Camel (Camelus dromedaries)

Abstract

A total number of fifty forelimbs comprising Twenty-five forelimbs male dromedary camels (camelus dromedaries) and those of male cattle, Zebu type, (Bos taurus indicus) within the ages of 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 7 years, were purchased from Sokoto Municipal Modern abattoir. Selected muscles sampled (1 cm2) from the forelimbs of both cattle and camel were taken from the middle part of the muscle bellies (from the biceps brachii, triceps brachii and deltoideus), fixed in Bouin’s solution and prepared for histochemical analyses. The photomicrographs obtained from the biceps brachii, deltoideus and triceps brachii among both cattle and camel demonstrated the morphology of the different fibre types (type I, type IIA and type IIB). Muscle fibre types showed different proportions. Even though the overall mean proportion of muscle fibre type I, type IIA and type IIB could not present any significant (p>0.05) differences between the camel and the cattle looking at it holistically. As revealed in this work, the effects of the interactions of species versus age, species versus muscle and muscle versus age on the proportion of muscle fibre type I revealed that the deltoideus muscle of 1 year old camel had significantly (p<0.05) higher proportion. Type IIA muscle fibre obtained from the deltoideus muscle of 5-year-old camel showed a significantly highest value, while muscle fibre type IIB showed significantly higher value from the triceps brachii of cattle aged 1 year. The importance of the knowledge of microscopic characteristics in the determination of myofibre types could be of help in advancing the knowledge on muscle morphology (anatomy) and as well be of help in meat science industry.