ELDER POLLEN ALLERGY
Key Allergens
Elder trees are in the
Adoxaceae family of plants.
The elder tree produces flowers, elderflowers, which can be harvested to make a sugar syrup used in drinks and the berries,
elderberries are used to make jams, jellies and syrups, but are toxic if eaten without being heated.
Elder pollen is not usually cited as being a significant pollen in terms of rhinitis, but recent studies have shown it is significant for people who suffer from rhinitis in combination with asthma.
The Box elder or box elder maple is a different tree in the
Sapindaceae family of plants which includes horse chestnuts and
lychee. It is not related, but is significant as a pollen which causes allergic rhinitis.
Associated Syndromes
An allergy to elder pollen is strongly associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hayfever).
An elder pollen allergy is also linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis.
Cross Reactivity
There are currently no defined allergens for elder pollen, so no known cross reactivity.
Resources
Websites
Wild Food UK - Elder Tree
Worcester Pollen Forecast
Allergy UK - Managing your asthma and your allergic rhinitis throughout the seasons
Allergen Encyclopedia - Elder
Science Direct - Sambucus nigra
Pollen Library - Elder
Articles and Journals
Allergenicity and structural properties of new Cor a 1 isoallergens from hazel identified in different plant tissues, 2024
Structure and Biological Properties of Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins and Lectins from Elder (Sambucus nigra L.) Leaves, 2022
Within city spatiotemporal variation of pollen concentration in the city of Toronto, Canada, 2022
Persistent contact dermatitis following use of laurel oil, 2022
Pollen Sensitization Among Egyptian Patients With Respiratory Allergic Diseases, 2022
Morphological Research on Indigenous Sambucus Species Pollen, 2009
Atmospheric pollen season in Zagreb (Croatia) and its relationship with temperature and precipitation, 2004
The influence of temperature and climate change on the timing of pollen release in the Netherlands, 2002
Nonsaponifiable lipid components of the pollen of elder (Sambucus nigra L.), 2001
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