Studies on Pollen Foods sold in Korea

한국 시판 화분식품에 관한 연구

Pollens and their preparations that are being sold as a health food in Korea were examined for. morphology and identity. The Iimall packages of sixteen items of the pollen foods were selected and investigated by staining and microscopy. It was shown that all fifteen items except one contained intact pollens which retain their sporoderms. On the basis of their morphological characteristics, they were identified as the pollens of the plants which belong to ten families: Betulaceae, Compositae, Cornaceae, Cgperaceae, Fagaceae, Geraniaceae, Graminae, LeguminoBae, Liliaceae and Pinaceae. Since the sporoderms which can act as a potent allergen to certain persons were not removed, these pollen. foods can not be safe as a food and. may cause systemic allergy. The only preparation that did not show its sporoderm is less likely to cause allergy than the others.

현재 한국에서 시판되고 있는 화분식품 16종을 검사하여 본 바, 15 종에서 원형 그대로의 화분임을 확인하였다. 따라서 이들 화분의 기원식물을 감별하였는 바, 국화과, 백합과, 사초과, 층층나무과, 소나무과, 자작나무과, 쥐손이풀과, 콩과, 참나무과, 벼과의 식물 화분이었다. 이들 화분은 그 표피를 그대로 지니고 있으므로 식이성 allergen으로 작용할 우려가 있다. 16종의 화분식품중 한가지 만이 화분 표피를 함유하고 있지 않았다.