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Bacteria, their endotoxin and mold found on pollen can be a reason of respiratory symptoms in sensitized individuals. This question concerns an anemophilous pollen more acute. In this work quantitative by dilution plating method and qualitative microbial analysis by MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper of pollen and other plants organs of Pinus sylvestris L., P. nigra Arnold, P. mugo Turra, P. armandii Franch., P. wallichiana A.B. Jacks from Nitra, Slovakia are performed which shows quantitative and species differences in mesophilic aerobic (0.00-6.27 log cfu/g) and anaerobic bacteria (0.00-3.70 log cfu/g), enterococci (0.00 log cfu/g), coliform bacteria (0.00-5.29 log cfu/g), lactobacilli (0.00-4.20 log cfu/g), microscopic fungi and yeasts (2.60-5.29 log cfu/g) content. Representatives of Pseudomonas (14), Bacillus (2), Acinetobacter (1), Arthrobacter (1), Pantoea (1), Klebsiella (1), Penicillium (6), Aspergillus (4), Cladosporium (1), Debaryomyces (1) genera were revealed on pine trees. The allergenic potential of the identified association of microorganisms on pollen has been evaluated based on published data. The results may be useful for aerobiologists, allergists and microbiologists, at least at the local level.

The aim of this study is to determine and compare microbiological contamination of anemophilous pollens (Betula verrucosa Ehrh., Betula verrucosa Ehrh. 'Youngii', Pinus sylvestris L., Pinus nigra Arnold, Pinus mugo Turra, Pinus armandii Franch., Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jacks) after collection and after not long-term storage. Samples were picked by hands aseptically in the territory of the same environmental conditions in Slovakia. Colonies of mesophilic aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, lactobacilli, total coliforms, fungi and yeast were found on pollen samples by dilution plating method. It was found significant differences in content of lactobacilli for birch pollens and fungi and yeast on pine pollens, depending on the stages – collection and storage. The microbiological quality of Betula pollen is better than Pinus pollen after collection and storage. Species factor affects the microbiota of anemophilous pollen.

The aim of this study was to detect the antimicrobial activity of four plant pollen samples to pathogenic bacteria, microscopic fungi and yeasts. Pollens of dogwood common (Cornus mas), ray mountain (Secale strictum spp. strictum), pumpkin rape (Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca) and grape vine (Vitis vinifera) were collected in 2010 in Slovakia. The antimicrobial effects of the four nontraditional plant pollens were tested using the agar well diffusion method. For extraction, 70% ethanol (aqueous, v/v) was applied. Antimicrobial susceptibility of five different strains of bacteria - three gram positive (Listeria monocytogenes CCM 4699, Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCM 1960, Staphylococcus aureus CCM 3953) and gram negative (Salmonella enterica CCM 4420, Escherichia coli CCM 3988), as well as three different strains of microscopic fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and three different strains of yeasts Candida albicans, Geotrichum candidum and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, were examinated. L. monocytogenes was the most sensitive among bacteria to the three ethanol extracts of plant pollen after 24 hours of inoculation, A. flavus and C. albicans were the most sensitive microscopic fungi and yeast species, respectively.