Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T06:04:23.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Identification of Medicinally Used Flora Using Pollen Features Imaged in the Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Lower Margalla Hills Islamabad Pakistan

Part of: Micrographia Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2018

Muhammad Sufyan ,
Ikram Badshah ,
Mushtaq Ahmad ,
Muhammad Zafar ,
Saraj Bahadur  and
Neelam Rashid
Muhammad Sufyan
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Ikram Badshah
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Mushtaq Ahmad
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Muhammad Zafar*
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Saraj Bahadur
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Neelam Rashid
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
*
*Author for correspondence: Muhammad Zafar, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The present study planned to assess the medicinally important plants in the lower Margalla Hills of Islamabad, Pakistan using scanning electron microscopy of their pollens. Both quantitative and qualitative characters of the pollens were analyzed. The shapes of the pollen were prolate, spheroidal, elliptical, and oblate. Exine sculpturing showed rugulate, scabrate, psilate gemmate, and reticulate ornamentation. The people residing in the rural areas are thought to depend, primarily, on medicinal plant resources for many health care needs. A sample of 140 respondents was selected and interviewed by using a stratified random sampling technique. Results showed that the local communities of lower Margalla Hills are highly dependent on plants to treat various ailments, for example, respiratory (28%), digestive (46%) nervous, circulatory and dermatological problems (6% each), and reproductive problems (8%). The continuous dependence of the local community on ethnomedicinally important plants has led to serious degradation of the natural forest of lower Margalla Hills. Priority-based conservation and sustainable use of these forest resources are necessary, and use of alternative resources will also help in the forest conservation.

Keywords

lower Margalla Hillsmedicinal floraauthenticationSEMIslamabad—Pakistan
Type
Micrographia
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , June 2018 , pp. 292 - 299
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Cite this article: Sufyan M, Badshah I, Ahmad M, Zafar M, Bahadur S and Rashid N (2018) Identification of Medicinally Used Flora Using Pollen Features Imaged in the Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Lower Margalla Hills Islamabad Pakistan. Microsc Microanal24(3): 292–299. doi: 10.1017/S1431927618000326

References

Adedeji, O (2005) Pollen morphology of the three species of the genus Emilia Cass (Asteraceae) from Nigeria. Thaiszia J Bot 15, 1–9.Google Scholar
Aftab, R Perveen, A (2006) A palynological study of some cultivated trees from Karachi. Pak J Bot 38(1), 15–26.Google Scholar
Ajaib, M, Khan, Z-u-D, Khan, N Wahab, M (2010) Ethnobotanical studies on useful shrubs of district Kotli, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. Pak J Bot 42(3), 1407–1415.Google Scholar
Ashfaq, S, Zafar, M, Ahmad, M, Sultana, S, Bahadur, S, Khan, A Shah, A (2017) Microscopic investigations of palynological features of convolvulaceous species from arid zone of Pakistan. Microsc Res Tech 81, 228–239.Google Scholar
Bashir, S Khan, MA (2003) Pollen morphology as an aid to the identification of medicinal plants: Trianthema portulacastrum L., Boerhaavia procumbens Banks ex Roxb., and Alternanthera pungens Kunth. Hamdard Med 66, 7–9.Google Scholar
Brindza, J Brovarskyi, V (2013) Pollen and bee pollen of some plant species. Кyiv: Korsunskiy vidavnichiy dim «Vsesvit».Google Scholar
Clark, WD, Brown, GK Mayes, RA (1980) Pollen morphology of Haplopappus and related Genera (Compositae). Am J Bot 67, 1391–1393.Google Scholar
Du, T, Zhao, C Liu, J (2017) The pollen of Solanum L. and its systematic significance. Palynology. doi: 10.1080/01916122.2017.1346527.Google Scholar
Dyakova, I (2014) Pollen morphology of the genus Malus Mill. Mod Phytomorphol 6, 129–132.Google Scholar
Gentry, J (1986) Pollen studies in the Cestreae (Solanaceae). In: Solanaceae: Biology and Systematics, D’Arcy W (Ed.), pp. 138–158. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Hamayun, M (2005) Ethnobotanical profile of Utror and Gabral valleys, district Swat, Pakistan. Ethnobot Leaflets 2005(1), 9.Google Scholar
Hazrat, A, Shah, J, Ali, M Iqbal, I (2007) Medicinal value of Ranunculaceae of Dir valley. Pak J Bot 39(4), 1037–1044.Google Scholar
Huang, T (1972) Pollen Flora of Taiwan. Taiwan: National Taiwan University Botany Department Press.Google Scholar
Ibrar, M, Hussain, F Sultan, A (2007) Ethnobotanical studies on plant resources of Ranyal hills, District Shangla, Pakistan. Pak J Bot 39(2), 329–337.Google Scholar
Jones, GD Bryant, VM Jr. (2007) A comparison of pollen counts: Light versus scanning electron microscopy. Grana 46(1), 20–33.Google Scholar
Khan, AM, Qureshi, RA, Ullah, F, Gilani, SA, Nosheen, A, Sahreen, S, Laghari, MK, Laghari, MY, Hussain, I Murad, W (2011) Phytochemical analysis of selected medicinal plants of Margalla Hills and surroundings. J Med Plant Res 5(25), 6055–6060.Google Scholar
Khan, MA, Khan, MA, Hussain, M Mujtaba, G (2012) Medicinal plants used in folk recipes by the inhabitants of Himalayan region Poonch Valley Azad Kashmir (Pakistan). J Basic Appl Sci 8, 35–45.Google Scholar
Khan, R, Abidin, U, Zain, S, Ahmad, M, Zafar, M, Liu, J Amina, H (2018) Palynomorphological characteristics of gymnosperm flora of Pakistan and its taxonomic implications with LM and SEM methods. Microsc Res Tech 81(1), 74–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klimko, M, Kluza, M Kreft, A (2000) Morphology of pollen grains in three varieties of Helianthus annuus L. Rocz-i AR Pozn 3, 135–142.Google Scholar
Larson, DA Lewis, CW Jr. (1961) Fine structure of Parkinsonia aculeata pollen. I. The pollen wall. Am J Bot 48, 934–943.Google Scholar
Meo, AA (2005) Palynological studies of selected genera of the Tribes of Asteraceae from Pakistan. PhD Thesis, Quaid i Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.Google Scholar
Moore, PD Webb, JA (1978) An Illustrated Guide to Pollen Analysis. London: Hodder and Stoughton.Google Scholar
Nakagawa, T, Yasuda, Y Tabata, H (1996) Pollen morphology of Himalayan Pinus and Quercus and its importance in palynological studies in Himalayan area. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 91(1), 317–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nair, PK (1964) Advances in Palynology. Lukhnow: National Botanical Garden.Google Scholar
Nasir, E, Ali, SI Stewart, RR (1972) Flora of West Pakistan: An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of West Pakistan and Kashmir. Karachi: Fakhri Print Press.Google Scholar
Noor, MJ, Ahmad, M, Asghar, R, Kanwal, A Pervaiz, S (2004) Palynological studies of cultivated plant species at University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Asian J Plant Sci 3(4), 476–479.Google Scholar
Noor, MJ, Ahmad, M, Zafar, M Ashraf, MA (2017) Palynological studies of melliferous and allergenic flora of Pakistan: A key to pollen and spore identification. J Apic Res 56(3), 300–309.Google Scholar
Patel, GI Datta, RM (1958) Pollen grain studies in various types of Corchorus olitorius L., C. capsularis L. and some other species of Corchorus . Grana 1, 18–24.Google Scholar
Punt, W, Hoen, P, Blackmore, S, Nilsson, S Le Thomas, A (2007) Glossary of pollen and spore terminology. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 143(1), 1–81.Google Scholar
Rajurkar, AV, Tidke, JA Jadhav, SS (2013) Palynomorphological studies on family Mimosaceae. Int J Pharm Bio Sci 4(3), 273–279.Google Scholar
Shaheen, N, Khan, MA, Yasmin, G, Hayat, MQ, Munsif, S Ahmad, K (2010) Foliar epidermal anatomy and pollen morphology of the genera Alcea and Althaea (Malvaceae) from Pakistan. Int J Agric Biol 12, 329–334.Google Scholar
Shinwari, M Khan, M (1999) Ethnobotanical conservation status of Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad. J Plant Res Environ 8(2), 53–60.Google Scholar
Shinwari, MI Khan, MA (2000) Folk use of medicinal herbs of Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad. J Ethnopharmacol 69(1), 45–56.Google Scholar
Sowunmi, MA (1973) Pollen grains of Nigerian Plants. Grana 13, 145–186.Google Scholar
Tomsovic, P (1997) Some palynological observations on the genus Echinops (Asteraceae) and their taxonomic implications. Preslia Pracha 69, 31–33.Google Scholar
Vitalini, S, Iriti, M, Puricelli, C, Ciuchi, D, Segale, A Fico, G (2013) Traditional knowledge on medicinal and food plants used in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio, Italy)—An alpine ethnobotanical study. J Ethnopharmacol 145(2), 517–529.Google Scholar
Walker, IW (1976) Evolution of exine structure in the pollen of primitive angiosperms. Amer J Bot 61, 891–902.Google Scholar
Walker, JW Doyle, JA (1975) The bases of angiosperm phylogeny: palynology. Ann Mo Bot Gard 62, 664–723.Google Scholar
Yaseen, G, Ahmad, M, Sultana, S, Alharrasi, AS, Hussain, J Zafar, M (2015) Ethnobotany of medicinal plants in the Thar Desert (Sindh) of Pakistan. J Ethnopharmacol 163, 43–59.Google Scholar