Possible Effects of Cultivated Plants in the Development of Allergy in Population of Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Among the various biological particles, pollen grains and fungal spores stand as the two major factors that can cause asthma and allergic rhinitis. Pollen grains can be released by the domestic plants cultivated in and around as ornamentals, on road verges and parklands etc. However, those plants are considered allergenic which are wind pollinated, called anemophilous, and very less attention is paid pollen sensitivity of cultivated plants. The purpose of this publication is to explain the types of flowering plants cultivated in Sindh, their flowering periods and the possibility of their pollen grains to induce IgE mediated hypersensitive reaction in people living in the selected geographical region. In this survey, we have taken into consideration 60 species of plants that are being cultivated in the province of Sindh. These species are divided into two major groups: the first group includes allergenic pollen producing species, while the second group included 38 species that are known to be non-allergenic. Our results show that most of the abundantly cultivated plants may be considered as secondary potential allergens and/or occupational or cross-reacting allergens.