Unleashing the potential: Camel Milk and Urine Research insights for performance, collaboration, structure and future trends (1947–2023)

Abstract

Research on camel milk and urine (CMUR) has gained significant attention because of its nutritional and medicinal applications. The aim of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the CMUR from 1947 to 2023. Following PRISMA rules, the Scopus database was used to extract 1338 English-language studies, which were analyzed using Scopus Analytics, Bibliometrix, and VOSviewer. The findings indicated that 7.78% of studies focused on camel urine within the CMUR domain. The analysis showed a steady increase in the number of publications over 77 years (R-squared = 0.8308). The CMUR encompasses a wide range of research disciplines, with particular emphasis on the agricultural and medical fields. Saudi Arabia is the top producer of CMUR, with the Journal of Camel Practice and Research being the most prolific source. King Saud University contributed 103 documents to the CMUR, making it the most prolific institution globally. The co-word analysis identified seven prominent research themes within the CMUR, which can be further categorized into four distinct clusters. Notably, ‘Probiotics’, ‘Anti-inflammatory’, and ‘Diabetes’ emerged as trending subjects. The analysis of the CMUR yielded significant insights into the present research trends, identified gaps in the existing knowledge, and provided valuable recommendations for future investigations.

Keywords:

• Camel milk
• camel urine
• knowledge structure and impact
• international networking
• VOSviewer
• R-package
• co-citation

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• M. Luisa Escudero-Gilete, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

SUBJECTS:

• Agriculture and Food
• Animal Biochemistry
• Agriculture

1. Introduction

The camel, a member of the Camelidae family in the Artiodactyla order, comprises two distinct species: the Bactrian two-humped camel (Camelus bactrianus) and the Arabian or dromedary one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius). These camels play a significant role in numerous societies, especially those located in the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula (Behrouz et al., 2022; Swelum et al., 2021). Camels can adapt to diverse climatic conditions (Al-Jassim & Sejian, 2015). Camels play vital roles in transportation and sports and as a source of meat and milk, contributing significantly to economic well-being and food security. Recent statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate the global camel population to be approximately 29 million (Faye et al., 2008; Sikkema et al., 2019). The majority (approximately 95%) of these camels are classified as dromedary camels, which are characterized by their single hump.

People living in arid regions have long recognized the health and nutritional benefits of consuming camel milk, often referred to as ‘white desert gold’. Globally, a significant number of individuals incorporate camel milk into their daily diet, owing to its numerous nutritional advantages. This includes its role in promoting bone growth and development, particularly in young children, because camel milk is a rich source of calcium and vitamin D (El-Agamy et al., 2009; Yadav et al., 2015). Moreover, camel’s milk has been shown to be beneficial for older individuals, especially women undergoing menopause, as they are at a higher risk of osteoporosis due to calcium deficiency. In many developing nations, milk plays a crucial role not only as a vital nutritional resource, but also as a significant contributor to food security and income generation (Khakhariya et al., 2023; Swelum et al., 2021). The consumption of camel’s milk fulfills the essential nutritional needs of humans. Furthermore, it has several therapeutic advantages. The use of camel milk has been observed in the treatment of various infections, jaundice, asthma and hypertension. Furthermore, it is known to play a beneficial role in the regulation of blood glucose levels, particularly in individuals diagnosed with diabetes (Barłowska et al., 2011; El-Sayed & Awad, 2019; Khakhariya et al., 2023; Mirmiran et al., 2017; Sawaya et al., 1984; Swelum et al., 2021). The lactation period of camels typically ranges from 9 to 18 months (Swelum et al., 2021).

The composition of milk is important because it determines both its nutritional value and technological properties during processing into dairy products (Elkot, 2019; Elkot et al., 2022). The composition of camel milk varies significantly owing to factors such as season, feed, watering frequency, method of analysis, milking interval, breed, lactation stage and climatic conditions. Dromedary and Bactrian camel milk have an average gross composition (per 100 mL) of 3.82 g fat, 3.35 g protein, 4.46 g lactose, 12.47 g total solids and 0.79 g ash, while East African one-humped camels show average milk composition (per 100 mL) of 4.14 g fat, 3.33 g protein, 12.69 g lactose, 4.18 g total solids and 0.76 g ash (Elkot et al., 2021; Khalil et al., 2022; Seifu, 2023). These variations highlight the need to consider multiple factors when analyzing camel milk composition (Seifu, 2023). Camel milk yogurt, prepared with flavors like cinnamon, doum (Khalil et al., 2022), lemongrass, rosemary (El-Deeb et al., 2017), Dates syrup (Shahein et al., 2022) and strawberry (Galeboe et al., 2018), has a fairly thick consistency resembling drinking yogurt, but it is less firm than cow milk yogurt. This is attributed to the composition of camel milk, which lacks β-LG, contains lower κ-CN content, and has a higher whey protein-to-casein ratio (Berhe et al., 2017; Galeboe et al., 2018). Camel milk yogurt typically contains 83.4% moisture, 1.13% ash, pH of 4.37, 16.7% total solids and titratable acidity of 1.255% lactic acid. The fermentation of camel milk yogurt takes a longer duration (17-18 hours) than that of cow and sheep milk. he low content of k-casein in camel milk together with its large micelle size are responsible for its poor coagulation compared to cow milk (Seifu, 2023). The coagulation of camel milk has also been investigated using different plant extracts, such as Moringa oleifera (Elkot & Ateteallah, 2017).

Urotherapy, the use of urine for the treatment of various human diseases, has a long history dating back to thousands of years. Previously, conditions such as abdominal tumors, enlargement, tuberculosis, hemorrhoids, colic and anemia were treated using animal urine, including buffalo, goats, camels, sheep, horses and donkeys (Salamt et al., 2021). Camel urine is considered a model for urotherapy and is believed to possess more beneficial properties than urine from other animals. It contains several chemical components that contribute to its antiplatelet, anti-cancer, gastroprotective and hepatoprotective properties. These properties make camel urine a promising candidate for various therapeutic applications (Ayyash et al., 2018; Salamt et al., 2021; Taghipour et al., 2023). Both in vivo and in vitro tests have revealed that camel urine does not result in clastogenicity (Anwar et al., 2021). Based on these findings, camel urine has been determined to be safe and unlikely to cause genetic harm. This safety profile makes it a viable treatment option for a variety of disorders. This research suggests that camel urine can be considered a potential therapeutic agent with minimal genetic risk (Al-Ghumlas, 2020; Alhaider et al., 2011, 2014; Al-Mutairi et al., 2021; Al-Yousef et al., 2012; Noor, 2004).

Bibliometric analysis is a systematic approach that utilizes mathematical and statistical techniques to assess and analyze scholarly work within a specific field of study during a defined time period. It encompasses both qualitative and quantitative aspects and focuses on countries, institutions, scholarly publications, authors and key terms associated with research in a particular discipline. By adopting this approach, bibliometric analysis provides readers with an unbiased perspective on the current trends and advancements in the field. While bibliometric studies have been conducted in numerous research domains, there have been a limited number of bibliometric studies, specifically in the area of the Camel Milk and Urine Research (CMUR). A recent bibliometric study was conducted to analyze the body of research on camels (Kandeel et al., 2023) in general, rather than specifically focusing on research conducted on CMUR. Several bibliometric studies have examined the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated research, briefly acknowledging the potential involvement of camels in disease transmission (Ahmad, 2022; Sivankalai & Badhusha, 2020). Therefore, the objective of this study is to bridge the existing knowledge gap by conducting a comprehensive scientometric analysis of the CMUR. This analysis aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by examining all original research articles conducted on CMUR from their inception to the present day. This study involved identifying key areas of focus within the CMUR, establishing an international collaborative network, assessing influential research contributions, constructing knowledge maps and identifying emerging research trends in the field. By undertaking this scientometric analysis, we aim to provide valuable insights and a holistic understanding of the current state and future direction of CMUR research.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Selection of database

This study utilized Elsevier’s Scopus, a comprehensive abstract and citation database introduced in 2004. Scopus covers top-tier peer-reviewed journals across multiple disciplines, making it suitable for the multidisciplinary nature of CMUR. It was chosen because of its flexible article indexing and extensive coverage. Scopus has enabled researchers to access a wide range of scholarly literature including journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters and patents. Its advanced search features and citation analysis tools enhanced the study’s validity and allowed for a comprehensive examination of CMUR from medical and non-medical perspectives (Jerome, 2022).

2.2. Search strategy and inclusion criteria

A clear and detailed protocol was created outlining the specific variables and data points to be extracted from the selected articles. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for article selection were clearly defined. Boolean operators were used to establish the search strategy. The initial search query (‘camel urine’ OR ‘camel milk’) resulted in 1,626 documents. Further refinement was performed by adding additional criteria, such as limiting the search to articles of type ‘ar’ (original research publications), articles published in English and articles at the final publication stage. Scopus filters are used to implement these restrictions. The study followed the PRISMA guidelines for screening, selection, data extraction and data acquisition. The search strategy is detailed in Figure 1, which explains the step-by-step process according to PRISMA guidelines (Şalvarlı & Griffiths, 2021).

Figure 1. Search strategy. ar: article: DOCTYPE: document type; PUBSTAGE: publication stage.

2.3. Data extraction and validation

Ensuring accurate and consistent data extraction is crucial for ensuring the reliability of bibliometric studies. Duplicate articles or redundant data were eliminated from the dataset to maintain data integrity. Highly cited articles were screened for relevance to CMIR by SIA and MMET. The extracted data may have been validated by a second researcher in the field to review a subset of the extracted data independently. The results were compared to identify and resolve discrepancies or errors. The final dataset (N = 1338), which consisted of original research publications in English with complete bibliographic information and no temporal restrictions, was exported in CVS and BibTex formats to facilitate the analysis using analytical software. Regular communication was maintained among the researchers involved in the data extraction process. Meetings or discussions were conducted to address any questions, clarify doubts and ensure shared understanding of the protocol.

2.4. Pilot testing

Before starting the data extraction, a pilot test was conducted on a small subset of articles to validate and refine the data extraction protocol. This helped identify any ambiguities or inconsistencies in the protocol and allowed for the necessary adjustments.

2.5. Data analysis

Several tools were employed for bibliometric analysis, including R-package-based Bibliometrix, VOSviewer and Scopus Analytics. Scopus Analytics was utilized for performance analysis, citation count assessment and the distribution of subject areas. VOSviewer, developed at Leiden University’s Center for Science and Technology Studies in the Netherlands, was used for mapping purposes by employing overlays and network visualizations. Bibliometrix, an R-package, was employed for various bibliometric analyses including co-authorship analysis, collaboration networks and citation analysis. Overall, these tools allowed for a comprehensive analysis of bibliometric data, providing insights into performance indicators, subject areas, citation patterns and visualizations of research networks and collaborations (van Eck & Waltman, 2010). To visualize the temporal data in the CMUR, color coding was used to assign different colors to network nodes based on the year of publication. This approach allows for the identification of trajectories and trends over time. This feature is particularly useful for assessing the dynamics of collaboration mapping within a CMUR. VOSviewer was also used to analyze keyword co-occurrence and author co-citations. This allowed the identification of common themes and relationships between keywords and authors in the field. Total link strength (TLS) is a bibliometric parameter that measures the overall impact of a research component. It quantifies the strength of the connections between nodes in a network, indicating the degree of influence or collaboration. Bibliometrix, introduced in 2017, is an R package specifically designed for bibliometric analysis. It is an essential component that operates within the R software ecosystem and provides various functions and tools for analyzing bibliometric data. Overall, the combination of VOSviewer, color coding for temporal data and the use of Bibliometrix within the R software ecosystem facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the CMUR, including collaboration dynamics, keyword co-occurrence, author co-citation and impact assessment. (Arruda et al., 2022). Bibliometrix was used to establish the thematic map, identify trending topics, assess thematic evolution, map country scientific production, examine inter-country and intra-country collaboration and obtain the Sankey diagram of the CMUR.

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Overview of the bibliographic information

In this study, a comprehensive Scopus-based search was conducted to identify 1338 original research articles specifically related to CMUR. These articles were published in English from 1947 until the date of the search. Supplementary sources of information such as books, book chapters and review articles were excluded from the study. The analysis revealed that 555 different sources indexed in Scopus published papers on CMUR. Additionally, the study identified 4257 authors who contributed to generating knowledge in this field. Of these authors, 65 were the sole authors of the documents, while the mean number of researchers per paper was 4.95. Researchers in the field of CMUR utilized keywords that accounted for 42.9% (2995/6977) of the total indexed keywords in the Scopus database (Table 1). Furthermore, after performing a search refinement using the term ‘urine’, it was found that camel urine was implicated in 7.78% of the CMUR dataset. Notably, in 2012, there was a coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia, and camels were considered a potential source of the virus. As a precautionary measure, it is advised to avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products, including camel milk, urine and meat. Although there may be scientific interest in studying camel urine, it is important to acknowledge that there is no widespread ideological support for its use. Collecting urine commercially can be challenging, and the public acceptance of its use is generally low. It is important to consider these factors when discussing the potential applications of camel urine in scientific studies (Al Zahrani et al., 2023).

Table 1. Overview of the bibliographic information (n = 1338).

Timespan	1947:2023
Sources	555
Documents	1338
Document average age	7.62
Average citations per document	18.24
Keywords plus (ID)	6977
Author’s keywords (DE)	2995
Authors	4257
Authors of single-authored documents	65
Single-authored documents	73
Co-authors per documents	4.95
International co-authorships %	39.85

3.2. Performance on CMUR

The total number of countries actively engaged in the CMUR was 83. The CMUR experienced substantial growth over the previous five years, particularly within the context of the third millennium. Following 2015, there was a notable increase in the yearly output of over 50 scholarly articles. Polynomial regression analysis revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between the variable of years and the number of published documents. The coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.8308) indicated that the polynomial effects of the variable years could explain approximately 83.08% of the variation in published papers. According to the data provided, Saudi Arabia demonstrated the highest level of productivity among the surveyed countries (n = 265). Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, France, the United Arab Emirates and India exhibit productivity levels of 193, 129, 110, 108 and 106, respectively (Figure 2 and Table 2). Iran, Tunisia, Algeria, the USA, Pakistan and Kenya have a collection of more than 50 documents. The CMUR received contributions from 16 member countries of the Arab League, accounting for a significant proportion of 73% (16/22). The dispersion of the blue hue in these nations’ geographical regions is evident, as shown in Figure 2. The diffusion of blue hue in the geographical areas of these nations is apparent, as illustrated in Figure 2. The prosperity of the CMUR in these countries stems from several reasons, the most important of which are the presence of these animals and their ideological background. According to Islamic teachings, camel milk and urine are believed to have medicinal properties. Consequently, Islam promotes camel milk consumption while allowing camel urine to be used for essential medical purposes (Kashim et al., 2019). Saudi Arabia assumed a central position because of its significant financial support for research, as evidenced by data from the Scopus database. According to Table 2, Faye, B., affiliated with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), was the most prolific author in the CMUR. Faye, B. has extensive camel farming knowledge and experience and has worked in over 45 countries. He was a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Saudi Arabia, specifically at the Camel Research Center. Maqsood, affiliated with the College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, UAE, is the second most productive researcher. His research has primarily focused on the characterization and identification of newly discovered biologically active peptides derived from camel milk (Mudgil et al., 2018; Nongonierma et al., 2018). According to the study findings, King Saud University has emerged as the most prolific institution in CMUR, with 103 published research papers. This is followed by the United Arab Emirates University with 67 papers, Cairo University with 42 papers, King Abdulaziz University with 37 papers and CIRAD with 32 papers. In terms of the most prolific sources of publications in the CMUR, the Journal of Camel Practice and Research takes the lead, with 80 papers. This was followed by the Journal of Dairy Science with 51 papers, the Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture with 39 papers, the International Dairy Journal with 39 papers and Food Chemistry with 36 papers. These findings highlight the prominent institutions and journals contributing to research output in the field of CMUR, indicating their significant role in advancing knowledge and dissemination of research in this domain.

Figure 2. Country-specific production in CMUR. The density of the blue color indicates high production of CMUR-related publications. Countries with a dark blue color were the most productive. Countries outside the blue category did not make any contributions to the research in this particular area. This figure was generated using Bibliometrix and BibTex data files.

Table 2. The 10 most prolific authors, institutes and countries.

Rank^a	Countries	N	Affiliations	N	Authors	N	Source (journal)	N
1	Saudi Arabia	265	King Saud University (KSA)	103	Faye, B. (France)	32	Journal of Camel Practice and Research	80
2	Egypt	193	United Arab Emirates University	67	Maqsood, S. (UAE)	27	Journal of Dairy Science	51
3	China	129	Cairo University (Egypt)	42	Attia, H. (Tunisia)	25	Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture	39
4	France	110	King Abdulaziz University (KSA)	37	Konuspayeva, G. (Kazakhstan)	24	International Dairy Journal	39
5	United Arab Emirates	108	CIRAD (France)	32	Mudgil, P. (UAE)	24	Food Chemistry	36
6	India	106	National Engineering School of Sfax (Tunisia)	31	Ayadi, M.A. (Tunisia)	22	LWT	34
7	Iran	82	National Research Centre (Egypt)	30	Khorchani, T. (Tunisia)	19	International Journal of Dairy Technology	21
8	Tunisia	74	ICAR - National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner (India)	29	Ayyash, M. (UAE)	18	Journal of Dairy Research	20
9	Algeria	71	Neimenggu Agricultural University (China)	29	Redwan, E.M. (KSA)	18	Small Ruminant Research	17
10	United States	70	Oran 1 University (Algeria)	29	Kamal-Eldin, A. (UAE)	16	Livestock Research for Rural Development	16

Note: KSA: Saudi Arabia; N: number; UAE: United Arab Emirates; CIRD: French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development; N: number of documents.

^aThe ranking depends on the largest number.

3.3. Multidisciplinary CMUR: Scopus categories

To comprehensively investigate and effectively harness the functional and technological attributes of CMUR, it is imperative to thoroughly comprehend their fundamental characteristics and undertake meticulous multidisciplinary research (Berhe et al., 2017). According to the classification of research topics in the Scopus database, the CMUR has received contributions from 25 research areas (Figure 3). These research areas include Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Medicine, Immunology and Microbiology, Veterinary, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics, Chemical Engineering, Nursing, Environmental Science, Engineering, Multidisciplinary, Social Sciences, Materials Science, Computer Science, Health Professions, Energy, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, Arts and Humanities, Business, Management and Accounting, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Neuroscience, Economics, Econometrics and Finance and Psychology. The contributions from these research areas vary in terms of the number of publications, with Agricultural and Biological Sciences being the most prominent (33.9% of the total), followed by Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (13.2%) and Medicine (10.5%). Although CMUR has veterinary and agricultural implications, the medicinal uses of camels and urine have become increasingly evident (Abushelaibi et al., 2017; Agrawal et al., 2011; Ayyash et al., 2018).

Figure 3. Distribution of subjects in CMUR. Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Medicine, Immunology and Microbiology, Veterinary, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics, Chemical Engineering, Nursing, Environmental Science, Engineering, Multidisciplinary, Social Sciences and Others. Others include Materials Science (0.73%), Computer Science (0.51%), Health Professions (0.51%), Energy (0.47%), Mathematics (0.34%), Physics and Astronomy (0.34%), Arts and Humanities (0.30%), Business, Management and Accounting (0.30%), Earth and Planetary Sciences (0.30%), Neuroscience (0.30%), Economics, Econometrics and Finance (0.17%) and Psychology (0.09%).

3.4. The role for collaboration in CMUR

Collaboration in science and research involves the joint efforts of multiple stakeholders working toward a common goal. This collaborative effort can occur at different levels, including the local, national and international scales. The dissemination of research findings in prestigious international journals has become increasingly challenging owing to the continuous and rapid expansion of knowledge and the associated costs involved in the publication process (McManus et al., 2020). The fourth research phase distinguishes itself from the earlier stages of individual, institutional and national research through emerging international collaborations among prestigious research collectives. Institutions that fail to establish international collaborations face the potential consequences of gradual marginalization. Scholarly literature extensively documents the influence of publications involving collaboration with one or more international partners. Collaboration is supported in terms of scientific rigor and infrastructure, which enhances the effective utilization of scientific endeavors, language and writing style, thereby augmenting the probability of manuscript acceptance by the intended readership. This implies that scientific information and data are made accessible to a broader range of individuals, stimulating inquiries and critiques, enhancing the caliber of the manuscript and subsequent research endeavors and fostering opportunities for novel collaborations (Hoekman et al., 2010). Wagner et al. (2017) suggested that the presence of international connections increases novelty and that these connections are more likely to involve nodes with a strong reputation (Wagner et al., 2017). These arrangements appeal to researchers interested in bolstering their academic standing. Researchers connected on a global scale can exercise a high degree of selectivity when determining the next participant to be included in a network (Hoekman et al., 2010; McManus et al., 2020; Wagner et al., 2017). Although international collaborative research has demonstrated benefits in different scientific disciplines, there must be more information regarding international collaborative practices in CMUR. The collaborative research efforts of nations interested in the CMUR are shown in Figure 4(A,B). Figure 4(A), among them, offers a general picture of collaboration, where the country’s activity in terms of the quantity of international joint research projects is correlated with the intensity of the blue hue. Figure 4(B) distinguishes between independent and cooperative scientific publishing across all nations. The nations that have recently entered the sphere of research cooperation are indicated by the yellow hue in Figure 5, which illustrates the temporal course of each country based on its participation in collaborative research activities. According to the current study, 1033 of the 1338 documents featured international cooperation. The most active nation is Saudi Arabia, which has 241 cooperative associations, 91 of which are located in Egypt. It is regarded as the nation that works best with Saudi Arabia. According to Figure 4(B), research collaborations contributed 55% of the Saudi research. Most of this action took place after 2015 (Figure 5). Regarding the number of scientific papers based on research collaboration, Egypt and France were second only to Saudi Arabia. However, China outperformed these two nations in terms of the proportion of single to numerous scientific documents. France has worked with Tunisia (Badawy et al., 2013), Algeria (Belkhir et al., 2013) and Kazakhstan (Konuspayeva & Faye, 2020). The countries with the highest proportion of single to multiple scholarly documents included Iran, India, Morocco and Iraq (Figure 4(B)). Some nations, such as China, South Africa, Bahrain, Yemen, Ecuador, Nigeria and Bulgaria, have realized the value of research collaboration and have created cutting-edge relationships with others, as illustrated in Figure 5 (yellow hue). These results are consistent with other reports on the country’s contribution to camel livestock. One nation with a significant number of camels is Saudi Arabia (Faye, 2020; Kandeel et al., 2023). Despite being categorized as a camel country, Egypt is second in the list of publications and has a low percentage of camel livestock and declining growth rate (Faye, 2020). In recent years, China’s fascination with camels has also increased. Owing to the alleged health advantages of drinking camel milk and the wool and leather industries produced by Bactrian camels, people in China are becoming more interested in it (Faye, 2015; Z. Wang et al., 2018). Only 3,000 camel heads are dispersed across private US ranches (Faye, 2020). Owing to the usefulness of camel milk in the treatment of colitis, diabetes and other somatic disorders, there is a rising interest in camels (Adams, 2019). The United Arab Emirates is one of the nations with one of the highest percentages of camel livestock (Faye, 2020).

Figure 4. The collaborative research effort of nations interested in CMUR. 4 A: Offers a general picture of collaboration, where the country’s activity in terms of the quantity of international joint research projects is correlated with the intensity of the blue hue. lines indicate the number of collaborative research projects. For all nations, Figure 4(B) distinguishes between independent (SCP) and cooperative (MCP) scientific publishing. Figure 4(A,B) were generated using the BibTex file in the Bibliometrix application.

Figure 5. Overlay visualization was generated using VOSviewer. The nations that have recently entered the sphere of research cooperation are indicated by the yellow hue, which illustrates the temporal course for each country based on its participation in collaborative research activities. Co-authorship networks among countries was analyzed using VOSviewer, where countries were represented as nodes and collaborations as links.

3.5. Effective CMUR: citation analysis

Using citation counting and mapping is a viable approach to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the scientific influence of scholarly articles, researchers and academic journals. However, it is imperative to make a rational decision when choosing a database to gather citation data, as each database employs its own set of criteria for tallying citations, typically tied to journal indexing (de Granda-Orive et al., 2011). Scopus is widely regarded as a highly effective tool for conducting citation analysis primarily because of its capacity to retrieve a wide range of publications and encompass reputable international journals that publish articles from various geographic locations (Jerome, 2022). In this study, we searched the Scopus database. The efficacy of the search was demonstrated by the substantial number of articles we discovered, accompanied by a considerable number of citations. The 1338 documents in the CMUR received 14,470 citations, averaging 18.24 citations per document. The most cited study was by Lee et al., with the title ‘Chronic Infection with Camelid Hepatitis E Virus in a Liver Transplant Recipient Who Regularly Consumes Camel Meat and Milk’, cited 376 times. The research conducted by Lee et al. (2016) established a correlation between consumption of food products derived from camels and the occurrence of hepatitis E in individuals who have undergone liver transplantation. The study proposed that in cases where the condition is detected in the initial phases, it may be managed through the administration of antiviral therapy and a decrease in the consumption of inhibitory agents (Lee et al., 2016). Research conducted on articles with high citations (Table 3) focused on various aspects of camel milk. These aspects include the examination of camel milk’s effects on allergic individuals (El-Agamy, 2007; El-Agamy et al., 2009), the isolation of antibacterial and antiviral proteins from camel milk (El Agamy et al., 1992), the study of probiotic lactic acid bacteria found in camel milk (Abushelaibi et al., 2017; El-Deeb et al., 2017; Elkot & Ateteallah, 2017; Khalil et al., 2022), the comparison of reactivity between camel milk proteins and proteins from other species (Restani et al., 1999), evaluation of heat tolerance in camel milk compared to other species (Elagamy, 2000), analysis of its chemical composition and nutritional quality (Sawaya et al., 1984), the investigation of its content of free oligosaccharides and the examination of its ACE-inhibitory, antioxidant (Moslehishad et al., 2013), anti-obesity (Mudgil et al., 2018) and anticancer (Ayyash et al., 2018) effects. The highly cited papers in question did not incorporate investigations on camel urine, thereby suggesting that researchers in the field of CMUR have primarily concentrated their efforts on studying milk-related aspects. On the other hand, we found that four of these documents affecting CMUR were published in Food Chemistry, which ranked first in the count of citations with 1572 out of 34 documents, followed by the Journal of Dairy Science with 1459 out of 47 documents and the International Dairy Journal with 1011 out of 38 documents. The LWT had 1011 out of 33 documents. The Journal of Dairy Research, Small Ruminant Research and the Journal of Camel Practice and Research have more than 500 citations. The University of Tehran (Iran), the United Arab Emirates University (UAE) and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (UAE) are the most influential institutions in the CMUR, with 1006, 547, 134 and 37, respectively. Although Saudi research institutions were not at the top of this list, Saudi Arabia ranked first in terms of citations (4856), followed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, the United States, China, India and Iran with 3696, 2806, 2345, 2117, 1776, 1477 and 1452, respectively.

Table 3. Top-cited documents in CMUR.

Rank^a	Title	Source (journal name)	Year	CC	CA
1	Chronic infection with camelid hepatitis e virus in a liver transplant recipient who regularly consumes camel meat and milk (Lee et al., 2016)	Gastroenterology	2016	376	53.71
2	Independent introduction of two lactase-persistence alleles into human populations reflects different history of adaptation to milk culture (Enattah et al., 2008)	American Journal of Human Genetics	2008	248	16.53
3	The challenge of cow milk protein allergy (El-Agamy, 2007)	Small Ruminant Research	2007	217	13.56
4	Antibacterial and antiviral activity of camel milk protective proteins (El Agamy et al., 1992)	Journal of Dairy Research	1992	214	6.90
5	Characterization of potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria isolated from camel milk (Abushelaibi et al., 2017)	LWT	2017	209	34.83
6	Are camel milk proteins convenient to the nutrition of cow milk allergic children? (El-Agamy et al., 2009)	Small Ruminant Research	2009	177	12.64
7	Cross-reactivity between milk proteins from different animal species (Restani et al., 1999)	Clinical and Experimental Allergy	1999	171	7.13
8	Effect of heat treatment on camel milk proteins with respect to antimicrobial factors: A comparison with cows’ and buffalo milk proteins (Elagamy, 2000)	Food Chemistry	2000	161	7.00
9	A comparative study of free oligosaccharides in the milk of domestic animals (Albrecht et al., 2014)	British Journal of Nutrition	2014	159	17.67
10	The comparative assessment of ACE-inhibitory and antioxidant activities of peptide fractions obtained from fermented camel and bovine milk by Lactobacillus rhamnosus PTCC 1637 (Moslehishad et al., 2013)	International Dairy Journal	2013	143	14.30
11	Characterization and identification of novel antidiabetic and anti-obesity peptides from camel milk protein hydrolysates (Mudgil et al., 2018)	Food Chemistry	2018	141	28.20
12	In vitro investigation of anticancer and ACE-inhibiting activity, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition and antioxidant activity of camel milk fermented with camel milk probiotic: A comparative study with fermented bovine milk (Ayyash et al., 2018)	Food Chemistry	2018	139	27.80
13	Characterization of recombinant camel chymosin reveals superior properties for the coagulation of bovine and camel milk (Kappeler et al., 2006)	Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications	2006	131	7.71
14	Chemical composition and nutritional quality of camel milk (Sawaya et al., 1984)	Journal of Food Science	1984	129	3.31
15	Rheological characteristics of goat and sheep milk (Park, 2007)	Small Ruminant Research	2007	127	7.94

Note: C: citation count; CA: average citations.

^aDocuments were ranked based on their citation counts.

3.6. Mapping the conceptual structure of CMUR

One of the main objectives of this study is to use co-word analysis and network analysis to delineate the conceptual framework of the CMUR from 1947 to 2023. The study also aimed to ascertain the key subjects that constitute the structure of the CMUR, namely the dominant, saturated, fading and emerging topics within the CMUR context. Moreover, it elucidates the prospective trajectory of the CMUR. This study utilized a dataset comprising 1338 documents from the Scopus database to accomplish the research objectives. Co-word analysis is widely recognized as a highly effective content analysis and text mining approach. One of the primary benefits of this approach is its ability to unveil the conceptual framework of a particular field of study, eliminating the necessity of referring to the complete text. The methodology of co-word analysis is based on the premise that the presence of two or more keywords within a document signifies a correlation between them. Furthermore, it posits that the strength of this relationship is directly proportional to the co-occurrence frequency. Another assumption of this study was that the authors exercised meticulousness in selecting keywords and ensured that they accurately reflected the document’s content. Co-word analysis is a quantitative method that enables the measurement of connections between research themes in a specific scientific field. It facilitates the identification of domains, subdomains and emerging topics of interest while also providing the ability to predict future trends. Co-occurrence refers to the presence, frequency and proximity of similar keywords across articles and can reveal hot research topics. It includes thematically identical but different keywords (Ahmad, 2022; Duan, 2023; Sivankalai & Badhusha, 2020). A total of 2,995 keywords were used in documents from 1947 to 2023. Following prior research (Zhang et al., 2015), a threshold of 48 was set for keyword frequency. Table 4 lists the most frequent keywords used in these periods.

Table 4. The most frequent keywords.

Terms	Frequency	Terms	Frequency
Camel milk	577	Spray drying	14
Camel	177	Staphylococcus aureus	14
Probiotics	58	Raw milk	14
Lactic acid bacteria	54	Yogurt	14
Chemical composition	37	Proteolysis	12
Fermented camel milk	36	Goat milk	12
Diabetes	34	Lactobacillus	13
Oxidative stress	33	Saudi Arabia	13
Antioxidant activity	29	Camel milk powder	12
Bovine milk	24	Rheology	12
Lactoferrin	20	Antimicrobial activity	21
Casein	19	Cheese	11
Bioactive peptides	18	Lactobacillus plantarum	11
Fatty acids	17	PCR	11
Antioxidant	16	Proteomics	11
Apoptosis	16	Shubat	11
Fermentation	16	Whey protein	11
Heat treatment	16	Brucellosis	10
Camel urine	15	Colostrum	10

Figure 6 shows the co-occurrence network. Seven clusters of keywords with the highest frequency each had distinct colors. The circle sizes denote the frequency of keywords, whereas the line thicknesses represent the strength of co-occurrence within and between clusters. Grouping keywords with similar content together formed clusters. The purple cluster contained the keywords ‘camel milk’ and ‘rheology’, while the green cluster consisted of the keywords ‘lactic acid bacteria’ and ‘Probiotic’. According to the figure, there is interconnectivity among all clusters, thereby indicating the presence of robust relationships among the seven clusters. This finding suggests a strong interconnectedness among the various domains within the CMUR. A clustering analysis of the most frequently occurring keywords should be followed by analyzing the thematic map (Figure 7) and its evolution (Figure 8), in addition to the analysis that leads to the identification of trending topics (Figure 9).

Figure 6. Co-occurrence network of keywords (1947–2023). Clustering was performed using VOSviewer for the most frequent keywords. Seven clusters with different colors were obtained. The side of the node represents the frequency of the keyword.

Figure 7. Thematic map. The map was generated using Bibliometrix and author keywords. A thematic map was divided into four quadrants based on centrality and density, which represent the importance and development of research topics. This figure was generated using the Bibliometrix application and the BibTex data file.

Figure 8. Thematic evolution. Mapping was generated using Bibliometrix and author keywords. 2019 was a crucial point for the transformation of the main topics. This figure was generated using the Bibliometrix application and the BibTex data file.

Figure 9. Trend topic. Figure was generated using Bibliometrix and indexed keywords. Shubat is a Turkic beverage of fermented camel milk.

3.6.1. Thematic map

Several methods have been devised for constructing science maps, with one commonly employed approach being co-word analysis (Yu et al., 2023). A thematic map was created based on the co-word network analysis and clustering using Bibliometrix. This methodology was inspired by the proposal of Cobo et al. (Cobo et al., 2011). Furthermore, various methodologies have been suggested to address the issue of demarcating a research domain and quantifying and visualizing the identified subdomains using co-occurring terms. The majority of these methods prioritize the evaluation of the performance of scientific actors. Further investigation is warranted to assess the efficacy of specific research domains or thematic areas in a conceptual manner. The assessment of performance in particular themes or entire thematic areas allows for quantitative and qualitative measurement of their relative contribution to the broader research field. This analysis enabled the identification of the most notable, productive and impactful subfields within the research domain. As depicted in Figure 7, the CMUR exhibits four distinct themes akin to those observed in other research domains (Duan, 2023). These themes are commonly referred to as basic, niche, motor and emerging themes. Namely, they are ‘camel’, ‘brucellosis’, ‘camel milk’, ‘fermented camel milk’, ‘lactic acid bacteria’, ‘spray drying’, ‘bioactive peptides’, and ‘MERS-COV’. There is one niche theme, named ‘MERS-COV’, which contains three terms (MERS-COV, epidemiology and risk factors). The diffusion of keywords among the four themes is shown in Figure 7 and Table 5.

Table 5. Distribution of terms on the various clusters and themes.

Cluster^a	Theme	Cluster label	Terms
1	Motor theme	Camel	Camel, milk, camels, dromedary camel, milk composition, dromedary, raw milk, Staphylococcus aureus, Saudi Arabia, cheese, PCR, composition, cow, dairy products, Kenya, milk yield, Bactrian camel, lactation, coagulation, Elisa, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, lactose, protein, subclinical mastitis, Sudan, aflatoxin M1, food safety, Gariss, milk production, stage of lactation, vitamin C
2	Emerging or declining theme	Brucellosis	Brucellosis, Mastitis
3	Motor theme	Camil milk	Camel milk, diabetes, oxidative stress, antioxidant activity, chemical composition, lactoferrin, casein, fatty acids, apoptosis, heat treatment, camel urine, bovine milk, camelus dromedarius, cow milk, goat milk, rheology, antimicrobial activity, proteomics, whey protein, colostrum, fatty acid, inflammation, insulin, whey proteins, antioxidants, amino acids, antibacterial activity, cholesterol, gut microbiota, human milk, pasteurization, sensory evaluation, streptozotocin, α-lactalbumin, enzymatic hydrolysis, lipid profile, microbial quality, milk protein, physicochemical, sheep milk, texture, lactoperoxidase, milk allergy, viscosity, whey, yogurt
4	Motor theme	Fermented camel milk	Fermented camel milk, kidney, liver, carbon tetrachloride, rats, toxicity
5	Basic themes	Lactic acid bacteria	Lactic acid bacteria, camel’s milk, probiotic, probiotics, antioxidant, fermentation, yogurt, fermented milk, lactobacillus, proteolysis, lactobacillus plantarum, Shubat, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer, bacteriocin, purification, antibacterial, identification, rheological properties
6	Emerging or declining theme	Spray drying	Spray drying, camel milk powder, microstructure, encapsulation
7	Emerging or declining theme	Bioactive peptides	Bioactive peptides, anti-inflammatory, camel milk proteins
8	Emerging or declining theme	MERS-COV	MERS-COV, epidemiology, risk factors, zoonosis

^a Clusters were generated using Bibliometrix and the author keywords.

3.6.2. Thematic evolution

Figure 8 depicts the temporal progression of research themes, clusters and topics within two distinct time intervals: 1947–2018 and 2019–2024. The Bibliometrix program employed a deterministic approach to designate the year and occasion for the research evolution of the CMUR, resulting in 2018 being selected as the demarcation point between the two distinct periods. The persistence of core themes is evident, despite the evolution and diversification of research themes over time. The research themes that consistently emerged as prominent throughout the entire duration of the CMUR study were ‘camel milk’, ‘camel’, ‘MERS-COV’, ‘oxidative stress’, and ‘lactic acid bacteria’. The figure primarily examines the progression of significant subjects while highlighting the fundamental advancements that occurred during the two specified periods. The ‘camel urine’ cluster evolved to become part of ‘oxidative stress’. The ‘zoonosis’ cluster evolved into being part of ‘MERS-COV’. The ‘Camel Milk’ topic is split into three clusters: ‘antimicrobial activity’, ‘camel milk’, ‘casein’, ‘dromedary camel’, ‘lactic acid bacteria’, ‘lactococcus lactis’, ‘mers-cov’, ‘milk’, molecular docking and ‘oxidative stress’. Notably, the Saudi Arabia cluster in the 1947–2018 period helped to grow two new clusters, including ‘casein’ and ‘MERS-COV’. Cluster ‘cluster multiple sclerosis’ was newly developed in 2019–2024. According to Ibrahim’s findings, adding Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as a probiotic to camel milk demonstrated the ability mitigated neuroinflammation in a mouse model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. This effect is achieved by regulating inflammatory markers (Ibrahim et al., 2023). Consumption of fermented camel milk containing prebiotics and probiotics has various health advantages (El-Sayed & Awad, 2019). In the time period of 2019–2024, new clusters have evolved, such as ‘molecular docking’, ‘Ethiopia’, ‘casein’, ‘antimicrobial activity’, and ‘proteolysis’. Several in silico investigations employing molecular docking techniques have been conducted to assess the biological properties of bioactive constituents derived from camel milk (Khakhariya et al., 2023; Khan et al., 2021; Taghipour et al., 2023; Y. Wang et al., 2022).

3.6.3. Trending topics in CMUR

Figure 9 and Table 6 present the currently popular subjects within the CMUR domain. These topics include ‘Probiotics’, ‘Anti-inflammatory’, ‘Diabetes’, ‘Whey Protein’, ‘Dromedary Camel’, ‘Spray Drying’, ‘Human Milk’, ‘Lipid Profile’, and ‘Anti-diabetics’. The subjects of ‘chemical composition’, ‘shubat (fermented camel milk)’, and ‘diabetes’ have demonstrated endurance in academic discourse. However, investigations into the potential therapeutic application of camel’s milk as an antidiabetic agent have garnered significant attention and interest. According to a systemic analysis by Mirmiran, most earlier studies have found that camel milk has beneficial effects on diabetes mellitus by lowering blood sugar, reducing insulin resistance and enhancing lipid profiles (Mirmiran et al., 2017). The CMUR durations for Listeria monocytogenes and whey proteins were the shortest. After 2020, a new camel urine study is yet to be conducted.

Table 6. Details of trending topics.

Item	Freq	Starting year	Median	Ending year	Lifespan
Kenya	9	2012	2013	2018	6
Histopathology	5	2012	2013	2017	5
Listeria monocytogenes	5	2012	2013	2014	2
Camel	114	2010	2014	2019	9
Camelus dromedarius	12	2012	2014	2016	4
Shubat	11	2005	2014	2016	11
Chemical composition	21	2007	2015	2020	13
Dromedary	15	2010	2015	2016	6
Fermented milk	13	2014	2015	2019	5
Camel urine	15	2012	2016	2020	8
Staphylococcus aureus	14	2013	2016	2021	8
Yogurt	14	2013	2016	2021	8
Milk	105	2013	2017	2020	7
Camels	19	2016	2017	2020	4
Casein	19	2012	2017	2018	6
Camel milk	439	2013	2018	2021	8
Lactic acid bacteria	54	2013	2018	2020	7
Diabetes	34	2012	2018	2022	10
Rheology	12	2017	2019	2020	3
PCR	11	2014	2019	2020	6
Whey protein	11	2018	2019	2020	2
Bioactive peptides	18	2018	2020	2022	4
Dromedary camel	17	2017	2020	2021	4
Apoptosis	16	2018	2020	2022	4
Spray drying	14	2019	2021	2021	2
Human milk	8	2014	2021	2022	8
Lipid profile	7	2016	2021	2022	6
Probiotics	28	2018	2022	2022	4
Anti-inflammatory	9	2021	2022	2023	2
Antidiabetic	8	2020	2022	2022	2

3.7. Sankey diagram

A three-field plot (Sankey diagram) of country, keyword and authors was created to depict the proportion of research topics for each country and its association with various aspects of the CMUR. As shown in Figure 10, France, the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia and Egypt cover most of the CMUR aspects. French researchers have covered most of the elements of CMUR except for ‘probiotic’ and ‘antioxidant’. Camel urine was not included in the Sankey diagram.

Figure 10. Sankey diagram. AU: authors; AU_CO: country of the authors; SO: sources. The thickness of the lines connecting authors from different countries represents the number of papers co-authored. The thickness of the lines connecting countries and sources represents the number of papers from each country published in each source. Each rectangle represents the author, country, or source. The size of the rectangle represents the importance of nodes in the network. This figure was generated using the Bibliometrix application and the BibTex data file.

3.8. Co-citation analysis

3.8.1. Author co-citation

Author cocitation analysis has become a prominent technique in bibliometric research. Author co-citation analysis is used to discern, track and visually represent the intellectual structure of a scholarly field. This is achieved by quantifying the frequency with which a particular author’s work is co-cited alongside another author’s work within the references of the documents that cite them. The main objective of author co-citation analysis is to ascertain the intellectual framework of a scientific knowledge domain by examining the clusters formed through co-citation patterns in scientific literature (Jeong et al., 2014). Figure 11 and Table 7 show the co-citation analysis of the authors using network visualization techniques in VOSviewer. Out of the 68,451 cited authors, 33 with a minimum of 120 citations were mapped into four clusters (red, green, yellow and blue). The nodes represent citations. The top co-cited authors in each cluster, as measured by their TLS, are Faye, B., Farah, Z., Maqsood, S. and Agrawal, R.P. Farah, Z., who anchor the green cluster and are the most prolific authors in shaping the conceptual structure of the CMUR. Researchers of the yellow cluster have studied the chemical composition and physiological properties of camel milk (Faye, 2015, 2020; Faye & Konuspayeva, 2012; Faye et al., 2008). Maqsood, S., who worked on the potential therapeutic application of camel milk proteins, is in charge of the red cluster (Mudgil et al., 2018; Nongonierma et al., 2018). The effect of camel’s milk on glycemic control and insulin requirements in animal models and patients is of primary interest to scholars in blue clusters. Farah, Z., the leading scientist in the green cluster, has worked on molecular investigations of camel milk (Kappeler et al., 2006).

Figure 11. Co-citation of authors using network visualization techniques in VOSviewer. Out of 68,451 cited authors, 33 with a minimum of 120 citations were mapped into four clusters. Nodes represent citations. Four clusters were detected.

Table 7. Co-citation of authors and their distribution on different clusters of CMUR.

Authors	Citations	TLS	Authors	Citations	TLS
Red cluster			Green cluster
Maqsood, S.	218	3707	Farah, Z.	575	5945
Mudgil, P.	207	3623	Attia, H.	227	4062
Moosavi-Movahedi, A.A.	200	3507	Puhan, Z.	166	2459
Salami, M.	227	3320	El-Agamy, E.I.	182	2187
Fitzgerald, R.J.	163	2879	Ayadi, M.A.	134	2134
Haertle, T.	163	2538	Kappeler, S.	136	1939
Blue cluster			Yellow cluster
Agrawal, R.P.	297	3706	Faye, B.	563	5782
Sahani, M.S.	227	3320	Konuspayeva, G.	348	4535
Yagil, R.	317	3127	Khorchani, T.	177	2352
Kochar, D.K.	196	2841	Loiseau g.	254	3313
Redwan, E.M.	195	1545
Tuteja, F.C.	130	1952

Notes: TLS: total link strength. The top six co-cited authors were selected from each cluster on the basis of their TLS scores.

4. Conclusion

This study enriches the CMUR literature by offering a complete and enhanced perspective on pertinent topics, thus stimulating future research. Middle Eastern countries with large Arab and Muslim populations have contributed significantly to the growth of the CMUR. The King Saud University is known for its production in this area of research. Bibliometric analysis allows for the systematic study of common themes and publications across time and place. ‘Camel’, ‘Brucellosis’, ‘Camil Milk’, ‘Fermented Camel Milk’, ‘Lactic Acid Bacteria’, ‘Spray Drying’, ‘Bioactive Peptides’, ‘MERS-COV’, are the main themes of CMUR. ‘Probiotics’, ‘anti-inflammatory’, ‘antidiabetic’, and ‘spray drying’ are trending topics. In the future, more specialized research is expected to be conducted on CMUR. Such studies may reveal the unique bioactive compounds in camel milk and urine that contribute to their therapeutic effects. By investigating these mechanisms and conducting rigorous clinical trials, scientists can gain a better understanding of their use as targeted interventions in specific conditions. These findings may lead to new treatments for cancer, infections, diabetes, inflammation and autism. Overall, this report contributes to the understanding of CMUR through bibliometric analysis, shedding light on its development, prevalent themes and potential implications. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in this field, supporting evidence-based decision-making and driving future advancements in CMUR.

5. Limitations

The current study had certain limitations. Despite the author’s diligent efforts to mitigate such inaccuracies, the occurrence of false-positive and false-negative results remains possible. In addition, the utilization of Scopus as a means of document retrieval may have led to the omission of certain papers published in journals from non-English-speaking countries that are not indexed by Scopus. The authors were free to choose their keywords, resulting in variations that may have affected the conceptual structure analysis.

Authors’ contributions

All authors have contributed equally to this project.

Ethics approval

Ethics approval is not required.

Consent form

There are no human subjects involved in this study.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Saudi Digital Library for its generous support in providing full access to their databases.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deputyship for Research&Innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, for funding this research work through project number ISP23-82.

Notes on contributors

Siddig Ibrahim Abdelwahab

Siddig Ibrahim Abdelwahab is an accomplished Associate Professor with a strong academic background and extensive research experience. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, as well as a Master’s degree in Pharmacology and a Ph.D. from University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. Throughout his career, he has held positions as an Associate Professor at the University of Malaya, Malaysia and as the Head of the Biomedical Research Unit at the Medical Research Centre in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Abdelwahab has made significant contributions to the field of biomedical research, with an impressive publication record of 217 research papers and an H-index of 50. He is actively involved in scientific communities, serves as a potential reviewer for several biomedical journals and contributes as a section editor for the Bulletin of the National Research Centre. Dr. Abdelwahab’s expertise extends beyond research, encompassing statistical analysis and mentoring numerous postgraduate students. His dedication to advancing knowledge in the field is evident through his successful establishment of research groups and laboratories, as well as his leadership roles in academic institutions.

Manal Mohamed Elhassan Taha

Manal Mohamed Elhassan Taha is an Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Jazan University in Saudi Arabia. She holds a B.V.Sc, M.Sc, and Ph.D. with a specialization in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Manal has a diverse research background, including cancer pharmacology, cell biology, molecular toxicology, and the extraction of medicinal plants. She has published 105 papers in journals and presented 7 at conferences. Her work has received significant citations, with an h-index of 34.

Abdalbasit Adam Mariod

Dr. Mariod  is a highly accomplished researcher and academic, founder of Ghibaish College of Science & Technology in Sudan, and a professor at the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. With a Ph.D. in Natural Sciences from Münster University, he has published over 218 articles, received the prestigious Abdul Hameed Shoman Award, and held visiting professor positions in Malaysia and Indonesia. His research focuses on oil and fat, functional foods, and natural antioxidants. Dr. Mariod is known for his leadership, editorial board memberships, and commitment to training and supporting researchers.

Hafeez Yagoub Mohamed

Hafeez Yagoub Mohamed is a veterinary professional with extensive research experience. He holds a BVSC and MSC from the University of Khartoum and completed his Ph.D. at UPM, Malaysia, with a focus on the morphological and biophysical properties of bovine parietal pericardium and tunica vaginalis xenografts in a rat model. Currently affiliated with the College of Medicine at Najran University in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mohamed has published several articles on topics such as the effect of preservation methods on bovine pericardium graft performance and comparative evaluations of processed bovine tunica vaginalis implant in a rat model. He has also presented his research at international conferences, including studies on rat soft tissue response to glycerolized bovine tunica vaginalis implantation and morphological features of natural cryptorchid sheep testes. Dr. Mohamed’s work contributes to the understanding of grafts, implants, and preservation techniques in veterinary medicine.

Abdullah Mohammed Farasani

Abdullah Mohammed O. Farasani is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Laboratory Technology at Jazan University. With expertise in Medical Molecular Biology, he has made significant contributions to the field through his research, publications, and participation in academic conferences. His dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and his experience as a Researcher Visitor at Reading University in the UK have solidified his reputation as a respected figure in the scientific community. Abdullah’s work continues to inspire and drive advancements in the field of Medical Molecular Biology in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Ahmed Jerah

Ahmed Ali Jerah is an associate professor at the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, KSA. He graduated from the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Umm-Alqura University, Makkah, KSA in 1993, and obtained his Master of Biomedical Sciences (Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology) from the School of Biomedical and Life Science, University of Glasgow, UK in 2001, and his PhD from the University of Manchester, UK. At the University of Jazn, he participated in establishing all departments of the College of Applied Medical Sciences and worked as head of the Medical Laboratory Technology, Diagnostic Radiology Department, Vice Dean of the College, and vice dean of clinical affairs. He is supervising many of the students’ research graduation projects at the Medical Laboratory Technology and publishing in many ISI and Scopus Journals