Milk-clotting performance of crude edible plant filtrates for camel milk coagulation in Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia

• Crude filtrates from ten edible plants were tested as natural camel milk coagulants. • Carthamus tinctorius, Carica papaya , and Psidium guajava gave strong curd formation. • Ananas comosus showed low coagulation efficiency and sensory acceptability. • Mixed camel–cow milk systems improved renneting and curd yield performance. • Plant-based filtrates offer sustainable alternatives to commercial rennet sources. Camel milk is an essential nutritional resource in arid and semiarid regions; however, its resistance to coagulation limits its processing into value-added dairy products. This study evaluated the milk-clotting performance of crude edible plant filtrates. Crude filtrates from 10 edible plants, such as Moringa oleifera, Carthamus tinctorius, Carica papaya, Psidium guajava, Ananas comosus, Urtica dioica, and Cirsium schimperi were used to assess the coagulation preformance based on flocculation time, coagulation time, curd yield, milk-clotting activity, and sensory acceptability in camel, cow, and mixed camel–cow milk systems. Among the tested plants, Carthamus tinctorius, Carica papaya , and Psidium guajava produced the highest curd yield, whereas Ananas comosus induced rapid coagulation but resulted in very low yield due to excessive proteolysis. Sensory evaluation indicated the highest acceptability scores for Cirsium schimperi (3.40) and Urtica dioica (3.33), whereas Ananas comosus was least preferred. Camel milk exhibited longer flocculation and coagulation times (approximately 7–9 min and 18–22 min, respectively) compared with cow milk, whereas mixed camel–cow milk systems demonstrated improved coagulation performance. The results confirm that crude plant filtrates can serve as effective, sustainable alternatives to commercial rennet, supporting product diversification and improved livelihoods in camel-rearing communities.