Comparison of Ambrosia L. Pollen Seasons in Lublin (Poland) and Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine) and Presentation of the Morphotypes of Trichomes on A. artemisiifolia L. Shoots in Terms of the Allergenic Properties of the Plant

Krystyna Piotrowska-Weryszko,Nataliia Prokopiv,Myroslava Mylenka,Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska,Agata Konarska,Małgorzata Bożek,Galyna Melnychenko

doi:10.3390/agronomy11091764

Abstract

Ambrosia pollen contains strong allergens. Allergic reactions can also be caused by direct contact with the plant. The investigations of the dynamics of Ambrosia pollen seasons were conducted in Lublin (Poland) and Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine) in 2013–2015. The onset and end of the seasons, maximum concentrations, annual sums, and the number of days with an allergy risk were determined. Additionally, the types of trichomes present on different parts of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. shoots were determined using light microscopy. Morphometric studies were carried out on trichomes sampled from staminate inflorescences. The maximum concentrations and annual sums of Ambrosia pollen were shown to be substantially higher in Ivano-Frankivsk than in Lublin. Similarly, the risk of allergies is higher in the study site in Ukraine. The study results indicate that the presence of Ambrosia pollen grains in Lublin may be associated with long-distance transport. The presence of non-glandular and glandular trichomes was found on the examined organs. The staminate inflorescences were covered by two types of non-glandular trichomes (short and long) and two types of glandular trichomes (linear and biseriate), whose secretory product can cause dermatitis in sensitive subjects upon contact with the plant.

Highlights

Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., i.e., a native North American species, was introduced in many European countries with cereal grains in the 19th century [1,2]
The aim of the study was to compare the course of the Ambrosia pollen seasons in Lublin (Poland) and Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine), i.e., their onset and end dates, duration, pollen concentration in the air, and annual sums
The three-year research conducted in Lublin and Ivano-Frankivsk showed a similar date of the onset of the Ambrosia pollen season in 2013–2014 in both cities

Summary

Introduction

Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (ragweed), i.e., a native North American species, was introduced in many European countries with cereal grains in the 19th century [1,2]. (ragweed), i.e., a native North American species, was introduced in many European countries with cereal grains in the 19th century [1,2]. Poland, it grows in dispersed localities, with the highest concentration in the south of the country [3,4,5]. Ambrosia is an anemophilous species, and its pollen grains are present in the air from August to October [6,7]. Ambrosia pollen present in the air of Poland originates from local plants or from long-distance transport, mainly from the south [8,9] and the east [10,11]. Symptoms of allergy caused by pollen of such plants as A. artemisiifolia include rhinitis, watery eyes, allergic conjunctivitis, cough, asthma, and rash [12,13]. Location, date in the season, and environmental pollutants are factors that increase the risk of allergy, i.e., exposure of hypersensitive subjects to pollen allergy [14]

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