title: Protective efficacy of immunoglobulins Y  prepared against Cerastes cerastes snake venom in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prepare and evaluate the protective efficacy of immunoglobulin Y (IgY) prepared against local Saudi Cerastes cerastes snake venom.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, King Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 560749553. Fax. +966 (1) 4678456. E-mail: moussaihab@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ihab M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Moussa
authors.forename: Ashgan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hessan
authors.forename: Abdulaziz M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aleisa
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Arfaj
authors.forename: Mounier M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Salem-Bekhit
authors.forename: Salim A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: AlRejai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000997:Antivenins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant / Q000494:pharmacology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D014757:Viper Venoms; D017819:Viperidae
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000997:Antivenins; C016512:IgY; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D008055:Lipids; D014757:Viper Venoms; C114843:incomplete Freund's adjuvant; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant