Protective efficacy of immunoglobulins Y prepared against Cerastes cerastes snake venom in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

To prepare and evaluate the protective efficacy of immunoglobulin Y [IgY] prepared against local Saudi Cerastes cerastes snake venom. The study was conducted between October 2009 and October 2011 at the Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study designed as follow; 4 groups of 8 chickens were immunized intramuscularly with Cerastes cerastes snake venoms mixed with Freund's complete adjuvant. Three weeks later, the injections were repeated with the venoms with incomplete Freund's adjuvant. Three boosters were given with the venoms at 3 weeks intervals. The IgY was extracted by ammonium sulphate-caprylic acid method, the antibody titer were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbant assay, and the protective efficacies of the extracted immunoglobulins were performed. Immunoglobulin Y preparation extracted by ammonium sulphate-caprylic acid method showed lack of low molecular weight bands. The bands representing IgY-antibodies, which have molecular weights ranged from 180-200 KD, appeared sharp and clear. Furthermore, evaluation of the prepared protective value of IgY-antibodies revealed one ml of extracted IgY-antibodies containing 15 mg/ml anti Cerastes cerastes; specific IgY could produce 100% protection against 50 LD50. Laying hens could be used as an alternative source of polyclonal antibodies against Cerastes cerastes snake venoms due to several advantages as compared with mammals

Molecular typing of clostridium perfringens toxins recovered from central Saudi Arabia

This study reports on comparisons between polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and conventional diagnostic methods for typing Clostridium perfringens toxins collected from Central Saudi Arabia. Fecal samples from 150 animals showing signs of enterotoxaemia were collected from 24 April 2009 to 25 September 2009, from different farms located in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Twenty-seven toxigenic strains of Clostridium perfringens were recovered from 150 fecal and intestinal content samples were identified and typed by conventional methods. All the strains were analyzed by PCR using specific primers for alpha, beta, epsilon and iota toxin genes. The experimental work was carried out at the Center of Excellence in Biotechnology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results revealed alpha toxin gene Clostridium perfringens type A in 22 [81.5%] strains out of 27 toxigenic strains, however, only 20 [74.1%] of them were identified previously as type A by classical method. One strain [3.7%] was identified as type C and 3 strains [11.1%] were identified as D by PCR typing. Moreover, PCR results confirmed the traditional methods in typing one strain as type B [3.7%]. Also, PCR method can detect 2 other strains of type A directly from the feces and intestinal contents of the examined chicken, which provide negative results in bacteriological examination. Polymerase chain reaction technique can be used as an alternative diagnostic method for detection and typing of Clostridium perfringens