To understand the differential N-glycoprotein characteristics of camel versus cow milk, we employed label-free quantitative N-glycoproteomics to compare the N-glycoprotein composition and the number of N-glycosylation sites between the two milks and utilized bioinformatics tools to predict potential biological functions of their N-glycoproteins. A total of 137 N-glycoproteins harboring 224 N-glycosylation sites were identified in camel milk, and 116 N-glycoproteins with 183 N-glycosylation sites in cow milk. Compared with cow milk, camel milk exhibited greater diversity in both N-glycoprotein types and N-glycosylation site number. Most identified N-glycoproteins contained only one N-glycosylation site, with only a minority displaying hyperglycosylation. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed N-glycoproteins were predominantly localized in the extracellular region and extracellular space and played an important role in immune response involving enzymatic activity, extracellular matrix organization, molecular binding, and signal transduction. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that these proteins were mainly enriched in metabolic processes such as complement and coagulation cascades and lysosomal pathways. Collectively, these findings provide molecular-level insights into the differences in N-glycoprotein composition and glycosylation between cow and camel milk.

Camel milk is one of the important specialty dairy sources in Northwest China, and rich in various nutrients including proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, which exhibits remarkable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities. The nutrient composition of camel milk is affected by various factors, nutrient contents varying significantly under different conditions. Due to its rarity and unique nutrient composition, camel milk is more expensive than cow’s milk. Economically motivated camel milk adulteration has frequently occurred in the market. This review article examines the effects of species, varieties, breeds, production region, season, feeding conditions, lactation stages, and processing conditions on the nutrient composition of camel milk using omics techniques such as proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics, and it discusses recent advancements in camel milk authenticity identification based on its characteristic components, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for the development and high-value utilization of camel milk’s nutrients and, more broadly, for the healthy development of the camel milk industry.