ABSTRACT
The present work was done to investigate the interrelationship < br />between progesterone concentration in blood plasma and saliva of female -
camels pre and post - mating day and pregnancy. Thirty healthy female
camels were divided equally according to their age into three groups, G1(3-
5y), G2(5-10y) and G3(10-20y). Blood samples were taken through one
estrous cycle at day before mating (D˗1), mating day (D0), 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th
day after mating. One sample of saliva per female was taken at day 8 postmating
for progesterone assay to compare between plasma and salivary
progesterone concentrations. At days before the 4th day of mating,
progesterone concentrations were undetectable in all groups (< 0.5 ng/ml).
Beginning from day 4, all groups showed a similar detectable level of
progesterone, the mean was (1.17, 1.20 and 1.22 ng/ml) for G1,G2 and G3,
the progesterone mean significantly increased at the 8th day to reach (4.09,
4.54 and 4.58 ng/ml) for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. At 8th day, the mean
of progesterone level for pregnant camels was (6.15, 5.74 and 5.73 ng/ml)
for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. Whereas, in non-pregnant camels at 8th day
the mean of progesterone level was significantly less (3.21, 3.34 and 3.42
ng/ml) for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. There was consistency between
plasma and salivary progesterone concentrations, the mean salivary
progesterone level in pregnant camels at 8th day was significantly higher for
G1, G2 and G3, respectively (4.96, 4.63and 4.58 ng/ml) comparing with
non-pregnant camels for the three groups (2.49, 2.64 and 2.73 ng/ml).
However, this noticeable increase of plasma and salivary progesterone level
in pregnant camels at 8th day post-mating could be considered as early
diagnostic indicator for pregnancy in camels.