Direct emission of the allergen primin from intact Primula obconica plants

The allergen primin and its precursor miconidin were collected by dynamic h eadspace technique from Primula obconica Hance and quantified and identifie d by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-M S). The primin concentrations in leaves/stems and flowers (including pedice l and calyx) of P. obconica were 262 mu g and 531 mu g (g fresh plant mater ial)(-1), respectively, whereas miconidin concentrations were 92 mu g (g fr esh plant material)(-1) in leaves/stems and 194 mu g (g fresh plant materia l)(-1) in flowers. The amounts of primin released from unchopped leaves/ste ms 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 showe d that primin is also directly emitted from undamaged plants, although in s maller 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 pla nt material)(-1) h(-1)) both from intact plants and from unchopped plant pa rts. The possibility that primin from P. obconica could be a potential airb orne allergen and therefore a source of airborne contact dermatitis is disc ussed.