Assessing animal welfare impacts of cosmetic manipulations in dromedary camels: insights from oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers

Cosmetic alterations in camels, such as lip binding, hormone and filler injections, and lip stretching, are common at beauty festivals and severely compromise animal welfare. This study aimed to quantify their physiological effects by analyzing inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers. A total of 12,385 dromedary camels were examined during the 7th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival (KACF). Camels with identified tampering were classified into five groups: lip binding (LBC), hormone injection (HIC), lip stretching (LSC), perinasal filler injection (PFIC), and lip filler injection (LFIC), with 20 age-matched healthy camels as controls (NC). Serum samples were analyzed for inflammatory markers (serum amyloid A, SAA) and oxidative stress biomarkers [total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA)]. All cosmetic procedures were associated with significant changes in SAA and oxidative-stress biomarkers (T-SOD, CAT, GSH, and MDA), consistent with a systemic inflammatory and oxidative stress response in dromedary camels. SAA levels were highest in HIC (11.82 ng mL −1 ), representing a 33.6% increase versus NC. Antioxidant enzymes showed severe depletion: T-SOD activity decreased by 22.9% in LSC, 27.3% in PFIC, and 25.3% in LFIC groups; CAT activity was most reduced in HIC and PFIC (21.5–23.4% decrease); and GSH levels dropped by 28.1–30.4% in HIC and PFIC groups. Conversely, MDA concentrations increased dramatically, with LSC and LFIC showing elevations of 80.8 to 87.6%. Correlation analysis revealed strong inverse relationships between SAA and antioxidant markers ( r = −0.757 to −0.790), while principal component analysis clearly separated treatment groups based on their oxidative stress profiles. In conclusion, biomarker analysis reveals that cosmetic alterations in dromedary camels, particularly hormonal and filler injections, induce severe systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. At the same time, mechanical manipulations, such as lip binding and stretching, also elicit significant physiological distress. These findings provide a rapid, robust, and quantitative framework for detecting illegal manipulations in camels, supporting evidence-based regulatory frameworks that protect animal welfare while respecting cultural traditions.