Pollen allergy in relation to palynology and taxonomy of flowering plants at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Yelwa Campus Bauchi, Bauchi State

Pollen is a crucial part in flowering plants with a special structure and function. Pollens produce metabolites like proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins that are responsible for their physiological and metabolic activities. These metabolites cause various types of allergies in humans. Samples and records were taken at the Yelwa campus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. Fifty (51) species of pollens belonging to 28 families were identified. The most dominant families were Meliaceae, Fabaceae and Anacardiaceae. The family with most pollen was Fabaceae at 29.05 % followed by the Meliaceae at 12.11 % and Anacardiaceae 10.10%. The highest pollen counts were in the month of November (368) followed by December (340). Correlation was used to determine the relationship between pollen distribution and some meteorological parameters. It was observed that pollen concentration correlated positively with air pressure, temperature, wind direction and negatively correlated with rainfall and relative humidity. Allergic data gathered from Yelwa campus showed more allergic cases during the month of November and December. This study suggest that pollen may be the causative agents of most allergic cases in the studied area.