Abstract

Background:
In recent years, camel owners have increasingly attempted to make their camels more attractive by injecting botulinum neurotoxin A (BNT-A) into the lips of their camels.

Aim:
This study aimed to develop an ELISA test for the detection of antibodies to natural BNT-A in the serum of camels injected with the commercial cosmetic botulinum neurotoxin (BOTOX).

Methods:
In the first part of the study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was established based on coating ELISA plates with BNT-A antigen and detecting anti-BNT-A antibodies using horseradish-peroxidase-labeled conjugate. Using a polyclonal IgG anti-BNT-A antibody as a positive control, coating ELISA plates with the inactivated BNT-A toxoid resulted in better optical density values than the recombinant BNT-A toxin. After testing several concentrations of the BNT-A toxoid, the optimal concentration for coating the plates was 2 µg/mL. In the second part of the study, eight dromedary camels were experimentally injected with Botox in their lips, and serum samples were collected before the injection (day 0) as well as two (day 14) and four weeks (day 28) after the injection.

Results:
All camels developed an antibody response to the BNT-A toxin when comparing serum samples collected before and after injection with BOTOX. Except for one camel, all the injected camels showed an increase in antibody titer on day 28, while no antibody response could be detected on day 14 after injection.

Conclusion:
This is the first report on the immune response in camels after botulinum toxin-A injection. This study established an ELISA test for detecting antibody immune response to botulinum toxin-A in camels. The established test could be used to identify camels injected with the cosmetic botulinum toxin-A.

Key words: Botox; Botulinum toxin; ELISA; Antibody response; Camel beauty.