Palyno‐morphological characterization of selected allergenic taxa of family Poaceae from Islamabad‐Pakistan using microscopic techniques

Abstract

Statistics around the world show an increased risk of high allergies associated with plants. The role of allergenic pollen is now well known. The most serious allergenic diseases are asthma and rhinitis, which affect 5–30% of the population of industrialized countries. This work focuses on the exploration of allergenic grass species of Islamabad, Pakistan and use microscopic techniques to correctly identify them. This study contains 11 species of grasses which showed variations in pollen morphological features. The dominant pollen shape was prolate, prolate‐spheroidal and sub oblate. The largest polar diameter was calculated for Echinochloa crus‐galli (56.00 μm) while the largest equatorial diameter was found in Cenchrus ciliaris (45.00 μm). Exine ornamentation varied from Gemmate–verrucate, Scabrate–reugulate, Verrucate–reticulate, Gemmate–Scabrate, Fine–Gemmate, Gemmate–rugulate, Gemmate–reticulate, Gemmate–scabrate, Scabrate–verrucate, and Scabrate. Maximum exine thickness was found in Eleusine indica (4.90 μm) while in C. ciliaris (1.50 μm) the minimum thickness of exine was measured. In E. crus‐galli (1.54 μm), the largest P to E value was measured and the smallest value was noticed in Setaria verticillata (0.86 μm). The study was performed with an aim to identify the allergenic plant species in Islamabad‐Pakistan using pollen morphological studies. This study provides significant information, to arrange the pollen types within their defined classes and to discuss various pollen features for developing an allergenic pollen atlas.

Palyno‐morphological diversity of Asteraceous and Poaceous allergenic plant using microscopic techniques in lesser Himalaya‐Pakistan

“…Pollen grain morphological character such as shape of pollen, size of pollen, number of pores, number of spines, presences of colpi, exine sculpturing are very important character for correct identification of plant species at family and generic level (Ullah, Ahmad, et al, 2021; Ullah et al, 2018, 2019; Ullah, Zafar, et al, 2021). Qualitative and quantitative character of pollen were studied using light microscope and scanning electron microscope.…”

“…Recently, the most requisite approach for micromorphological studies of pollen is scanning electron microscopy. The study of pollens through SEM is consequential due to its high resolving power (Khan et al, 2018; Ullah, Ahmad, et al, 2021; Ullah, Zafar, et al, 2021; ur Rahman et al, 2019). The pollen characteristics were employed by many researchers for systematic objectives (Ashfaq et al, 2018).…”

“…Sixty‐one allergenic plants pollens were investigated, with transmission and scanning electron microscopy, minor allergenic plants species like families of Fagaceae, Salicaceae, or Ulmaceae showing typical pollen wall organization with compact endexine, intine, and ektexine while majority of allergenic plants species like Poaceae and Betulaceae the endexine is not detectable (Diethart et al, 2007). Using microscopic techniques of LM and SEM Pollen morphology of allergenic plant family Poaceae was taken out in Pakistan first time which show pollen were porate and their exine ornamentation vary (Ullah, Ahmad, et al, 2021; Ullah, Zafar, et al, 2021). Noor and Ahmad (2021) studied Palyno‐morphic character of 16 allergenic flora of Northern and Arid irrigated agroecological zones of Pakistan.…”

Palyno‐anatomical characters and their systematic significance in the family Apiaceae from Chitral, eastern Hindu Kush, Pakistan

“…Anthers were removed from plant specimen to get pollens, put three to four drops of 45% acetic acid on the slide. Acetolyzed pollens were mounted on gold palladium metallic stub and observed under SEM (Khan et al, 2021; Ullah et al, 2021). The main objective of Scanning Electron Microscopy was to observe micro morphological features and ultrastructure of pollen that we are unable to explain through LM.…”

“…Anthers were removed from plant specimen to get pollens, put three to four drops of 45% acetic acid on the slide. Acetolyzed pollens were mounted on gold palladium metallic stub and observed under SEM (Khan et al, 2021;Ullah et al, 2021).…”