Study of the Expected Impact of Palm Pollen on Human Respiratory Tract Allergy

Abdulaziz B. Alharbi and Hassan Mirghani Mousa

Background and Objective: Date-Palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are the most abundant crop in Saudi Arabia. Date Palm Pollen (DPP) are considered an important allergens. The reasons for the increase in susceptibility to allergy are not clear. This investigation aimed to link the size, shape, moisture contents and biogenic contents of the collected pollens to susceptibility. Materials and Methods: Pollens were collected from three different regions in the Kingdom. Date palm pollen sizes were determined in wet and dry states by Microtrac. A microscope with a camera was used to image the forms of date palm pollens. The biogenic amines were determined after extraction using HPLC. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), using SPSS version 16.0. Results: There was a variation in the sizes of pollens from different regions ranging between 3.3-704 μm. Most pollen grains are spherical. The concentrations of six biogenic amines were detected in all samples but with different concentrations. They included B-phenyl ethylamine, Putrescine, Cadaverine, Histamine, Tyramine and Spermidine. Conclusion: The shape and size of the pollen grains studied were variable and will not facilitate deep penetration into the respiratory system but their biogenic contents were very high and suggested to cause allergy.

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