title: Direct emission of the allergen primin from intact Primula obconica plants.
abstract: The allergen primin and its precursor miconidin were collected by dynamic headspace technique from Primula obconica Hance and quantified and identified by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The primin concentrations in leaves/stems and flowers (including pedicel and calyx) of P. obconica were 262 microg and 531 microg (g fresh plant material)(-1), respectively, whereas miconidin concentrations were 92 microg (g fresh plant material)(-1) in leaves/stems and 194 microg (g fresh plant material)(-1) in flowers. The amounts of primin released from unchopped leaves/stems and flowers were 65.3 ng and 18.8 ng (g fresh plant material)(-1) h(-1), respectively. Dynamic headspace analysis of intact P. obconica plants showed that primin is also directly emitted from undamaged plants, although in smaller concentrations (6.2 ng (g fresh plant material)(-1) h(-1)), whereas miconidin was only emitted in minute amounts (less than 0.4 ng (g fresh plant material)(-1) h(-1)) both from intact plants and from unchopped plant parts. The possibility that primin from P. obconica could be a potential airborne allergen and therefore a source of airborne contact dermatitis is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Food Science, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Aarslev.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000032:analysis*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D016227:Benzoquinones; C014773:primin