Scanning electron imaging of mellitophilous and allergenic pollen grain of arid and northern irrigated agroecological zones of Pakistan
Mehwish Jamil Noor, Mushtaq Ahmad
Abstract
Palynomorphic studies of 65 common mellitophilous and 16 allergenic flora of Arid and Northern irrigated agroecological zones of Pakistan are carried out in this study by using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Mellitophilous pollen were extracted from honey samples of selected sites. For collection of local allergenic pollen, previously identified allergy-causing plants were selected. Pollen morphological examination was carried out under FESEM. Diverse range of pollen shapes ranging from monad to polyad and sculpturing ranging from psilate to echinate, scabrate to reticulate, bireticulate, or echinolophate were observed. Brassicaceae, Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Poaceae were observed to be dominant allergenic and mellitophilous families of the selected sites.