Bamboo Seeds Research Articles

How much do field mice prefer dwarf bamboo seeds? Two-choice experiments between seeds of Sasa borealis and several tree species on the forest floor.

Bambusoideae is a taxon of mass-flowering monocarpic perennials with a long life cycle. Forest ecosystems are affected by Bambusoideae seeding and death events in various ways, including an increased abundance of Apodemus spp. The utilization and preference of dwarf bamboo seeds over tree seeds by field mice remain elusive. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether field mice prefer dwarf bamboo to tree seeds. We examined one dwarf bamboo species (Sasa borealis) against four tree species with varying acorn/fruit traits (Castanea crenata, Quercus crispula, Fagus crenata, and Lindera triloba). The seeds were placed in a container in a forest among dead S. borealis culms, with an automatic camera monitoring the setup. The examined seeds were mainly foraged by two field mouse species, Apodemus speciosus and Apodemus argenteus, with preference in the following order: C. crenata, L. triloba, S. borealis, F. crenata, and Q. crispula. Our findings indicated that during S. borealis mast seeding years, predation pressure on F. crenata and Q. crispula seeds could be considerably reduced. This suggests that mast seeding might disrupt the normal pattern of survival, and seed dispersal patterns, potentially altering the forest vegetation composition.

RESPON STEK CABANG BAMBU BETUNG (Dendrocalamus asper) TERHADAP PEMBERIAN ZPT ALAMI

Betung bamboo is widely used for building construction materials, furniture, and has ecological benefits because it is hard and strong. Bamboo propagation can be done generatively and vegetatively. Generative propagation has weaknesses, namely bamboo seeds are very difficult to obtain, seed viability is low, seeds cannot be stored for long, are susceptible to pests and diseases, and require a very long time to reach the age of the first harvest. Regulatory substances that can be used to encourage the growth of bamboo branch cuttings are shallots and banana weevils. The study was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 9 treatments namely A0 (control), A1 (25% banana weevil), A2 (50% banana weevil), A3 (75% banana weevil). banana), A4 (100% banana weevil), A5 (25% shallot), A6 (50% shallot), A7 (75% shallot), A8 (100% shallot). The results showed that natural ZPT (banana and shallot weevils) had no significant effect on the growth of betung bamboo branch cuttings. Although no treatment had a significant effect, when viewed from the average value of each parameter, it can be said that the treatment of natural ZPT concentrations on bamboo betung branch cuttings was in treatment A8 (100% shallot concentration) for the parameter of the period of shoot emergence, treatment A6 (50% shallot concentration) for the number of leaves parameter, treatment A0 (control) for the root length parameter and for the parameter living percentage of bamboo betung branch cuttings showed the highest average for all treatments.

A comparative evaluation of chemical composition and nutritional value of bamboo rice and major cereals reveals the potential utility of bamboo rice as functional food.

Bamboo rice refers to the edible seeds collected from bamboo plants, but the nutritional and chemical compositions of bamboo rice are unknown. Here, we evaluated the nutritional value of two types of bamboo seeds by comparing them to rice and wheat. The fiber, protein, and microelement contents were much higher in bamboo seeds than in rice and wheat seeds. The flavonoids content was 5- and 10-folds higher in Moso bamboo seeds than in rice and wheat seeds, respectively. Amino acid profiles exhibited that most of amino acids were abundant in bamboo seeds compared to rice and wheat seeds. While water-soluble B vitamins and fatty acids in bamboo seeds were similar to those in rice and wheat seeds. Accordingly, rice and wheat may thus be substituted by bamboo rice which is a potentially functional food. Its high flavonoid content may be further exploited by the food industry.

The potential of bamboo seeds for natural biofortification of dietary zinc and iron

Moso bamboo has been shown to accumulate high concentrations of iron and zinc in the seeds. However, the bioavailablity of iron and zinc in bamboo seeds is poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of iron and zinc in bamboo seeds by using an in vitro digestion protocol. Our evaluations revealed that values of bioaccessibility and bioavailability of iron were 25 and 21 mg kg−1 in bamboo seeds which were 1.6- and 1.7- fold higher than in rice, respectively. Also, values of bioaccessibility and bioavailability of zinc were 20 and 13 mg kg−1 in bamboo seeds which were 1.9- and 2.6- fold higher than in rice, respectively. Boiling process reduced both the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of iron and zinc. In addition, phytic acid concentration in bamboo seeds was only 0.42 times higher than in rice. By contrast, the tannins concentration in bamboo seeds was 2.2 times higher than in rice. Cellular localization results showed that iron and zinc were mainly concentrated in the embryo and the aleurone layer. These results clearly suggest that Moso bamboo seeds are rich in iron and zinc and have potential as a food for iron and zinc biofortification.

Effect of ageing on endogenous auxins, gibberellins and abscissic acid in three species of bamboo seeds in relation to loss of viability during storage

Effect of ageing on endogenous auxins, gibberellins and abscissic acid in three species of bamboo seeds in relation to loss of viability during storage

Ultrastructure change and transcriptome analysis of GA3 treatment on seed germination of moso bamboo(Phyllostachys edulis)

ABSTRACT Exploring the mechanism of Gibberellic acid (GA3) treatment on seed germination of moso bamboo can lay a foundation for its future breeding and research. In this study, the germination-related indicators (germination rate, germination potential, vigor index, respiration rate) with different content of GA3 treatment were measured, and the ultrastructure of moso bamboo seeds treated with low and high GA3 concentrations was observed during the germination process. In addition, the transcriptome data of the germination seeds, with and without GA3 treatment were analyzed. The results showed that the low GA3 concentration (10 mol/L) increased the germination rate, germination potential, vigor index and respiration rate, thus promoting the germination of moso bamboo seeds, but a high concentration of GA3 (50 mol/L) inhibited the seed germination. The low GA3 concentration accelerated the decomposition of starch and fat and promoted the vacuole formation of cells, but the high GA3 concentration damaged organelles and increased the endocytosis of cells. Compared with untreated moso bamboo seeds, the seeds had fewer genes expressed after GA3 treatment. Starch and carbon metabolism play a very important role in seed development and embryo viability, whether the seed is treated with GA3 or not. After hormone treatment, GID1 and DELLA-related genes homologous to rice genes is not expressed, but the expression of PIF4, PIF5, GA3 ox2, GA2 oxs, etc., were up-regulated.

Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Dendrocalumus brandisii in vitro, and the Inhibitory Mechanism of Colchicine.

Bamboos seldom bloom and almost no seeds could be harvested, and, hence, few works are focused on germination physiology. Systematic research on the physiological effects of colchicine on germination and seedling growth of bamboo seeds is lacking. In this study, we finely recorded seed germination and seedling growth of Dendrocalamus brandisii in media supplemented with different colchicine concentrations. Physiological effects and mechanisms of colchicine were analyzed. The results showed that D. brandisii seeds were non-dormant, and seed lots achieved their highest germination rates on the 4th day and finished the whole germination period after 21 days. Colchicine inhibited seed germination and seedling growth but did not change its germination pattern. Seed germination and seedling growth decreased constantly with colchicine concentration. Colchicine showed more negative effects on seedling growth than on seed germination and root growth. High concentrations of colchicine retarded the development of plumules and even caused their aberrant development. Under tissue culture conditions, seed germination, and seedling growth relied mainly on the endogenous starch and soluble sugar degradation, in which α-amylase, STP, and SUSY played the key role. Colchicine inhibited seed germination and seedling growth by suppressing the α-amylase, STP, and SUSY activities. Colchicine showed more negative effects on sucrose degradation than on starch degradation during seed germination and seedling growth. This study provides new basic information on the seedling physiology for the genetic breeding of bamboo plants.

Qualitative and quantitative characterization of nutrient content and morphology in seeds of bamboo, rice, and wheat

Bamboo seed is traditionally regarded as a gift from nature, which is consumed as “bamboo rice” and used in traditional medicine in some regions of the world. However, the basic nutritional profile of bamboo seed is poorly understood. Here, we collected seeds of five species of bamboo and compared them with rice and wheat in terms of morphology, nutritional quality, and concentration and distribution of mineral elements. In general, bamboo seeds had a longer length and shorter width than rice and wheat, but showed a similar 1000-grain weight to wheat. The contents of soluble protein and soluble sugar in bamboo seeds were lower than in rice and wheat, but the starch content was similar. The concentration of some mineral elements in bamboo seeds showed multiple differences when compared with rice and wheat. In particular, the concentrations of the toxic heavy metals Cd and Pb were significantly higher in bamboo seeds than in rice and wheat. The distribution of different elements in seeds of bamboo, rice, and wheat was successfully visualized and clearly showed that mineral elements tended to be enriched in the embryo and pericarp, although some differences were detected in the cellular localization of elements in different species. Furthermore, a physiological experiment showed bamboo had higher root-to-shoot translocation of Cd and Pb than rice. These results present for the first time the nutrient profile of bamboo seeds; the high accumulation of essential minerals in bamboo seeds suggests that the seeds might be a good natural food for addressing mineral malnutrition.

Bottom-up effect: a rodent outbreak following the bamboo blooming in a Neotropical rainforest

Variation in primary productivity has been described for an extensive range of natural systems and may lead to remarkable bottom-up effects on consumer communities at higher trophic levels. During a standardized sampling of the small mammal assemblage in the Reserva Florestal Morro Grande, SP, Brazil, we documented a bamboo blooming followed by an increase in abundance of small mammals. Here we described the effects of this blooming of the assemblage of small mammals and evaluated if (i) the abundance of frugi-/granivore species is affected more strongly than the abundance of insect-/omnivore species and (ii) due to the massive food availability in the habitat (bamboo seeds), body mass index of one of the affected species, the rodent Euryoryzomys russatus, will increase after the bamboo blooming. Although some species became more abundant, the difference was not related to species diet. We did find a significant increase in the body weight of Euryoryzomys russatus after the bamboo blooming. We emphasize that an infrequent and poorly known event like bamboo blooming can have a major impact on rodent population dynamics, regardless of the species diet, increasing abundance, and weight bottom-up controlled by the massive availability of food resources.

Effect of low‐pressure plasma on bamboo rice and its flour

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) has recently gained considerable attention for its applications in agricultural and food products’ sterilization, decontamination, and modification of food surfaces. This work is aimed at studying the effect of low‐pressure cold plasma on soaking, cooking, and the morphological and pasting properties of bamboo rice that is vastly considered for its medicinal and bioactive components. Bamboo rice was treated with low‐pressure plasma at 15, 20, and 25 W/cm² for 5 and 10 min. It was found that the effect of NTP enhanced water absorption in rice and was able to reduce the cooking time by 12 min. A SEM examination exposed the fissures on the bamboo rice surface after plasma treatment. The pasting properties of the raw and the plasma‐treated rice flour were analyzed and it was found that the final viscosity decreased to 306 cP for the plasma‐treated flour. Plasma‐treated (25 W/cm² for 10 min) bamboo rice showed a rise in β‐sitosterol content by the GC‐MS analysis. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Bamboo rice, a traditional variety of rice, has larger health‐benefiting biocomponents, which were retained while reducing the cooking time by cold plasma treatment. Cooking, soaking, and the morphological and pasting properties of plasma‐exposed bamboo rice were presented. This investigation may assist in food product development by integrating bamboo rice and might also help in promoting the consumption of bamboo seeds as a substitute for white rice.

Physicochemical and structural properties of starch from young bamboo culm of Bambusa tuldoides

Starch is used in a wide variety of food and non-food industrial applications. However, in some cases, it is necessary to apply physical and/or chemical treatments to alter some properties, besides being an expensive process, it is environmentally unfriendly. So, the objective of this study was to characterize the morphology, structure, physicochemical and thermal properties of starch extracted from three different parts of the young culm (bottom-SB, middle-SM and top-ST) of B. tuldoides. The obtained data were evaluated by ANOVA and Scott-Knot test (p < 0.05). The starches presented pale yellow coloration and high luminosity (on average a* = 0.65, b* = 11.26 and L = 89.39), besides polyhedral shape and small size (on average 4.64 μm) observed by optical (OM) and scanning electron (SEM) microscopies. The starches showed apparent amylose content similar to starches from cereals and isolated from bamboo seeds. The molecular size distribution of amylose chains corroborates with SM (33.35%) and ST (24.48%) amylose content, since they presented the highest values. The highest proportion of chains of amylopectin were observed for DP 13–24, without significant difference between the samples, which sustain with A-type polymorph presented for all the samples. Transition temperature above 81 °C was observed and agree with the higher proportions of amylopectin short chains. The obtained starches presented characteristics of native starches and were similar to the starches traditionally used. Thus, starch from the young culm of bamboo would be an alternative source to traditional starches, such as rice, wheat or corn, sustaining with its potential for industrial applications.

An appraisal of prodigal loss of vigour and viability of bamboo seeds

An appraisal of prodigal loss of vigour and viability of bamboo seeds

Characterization of young bamboo culm starch from Dendrocalamus asper.

The search for new and natural ingredients has been stimulated by the food and non-food industries, and the fresh young bamboo culm of Dendrocalamus asper emerges as promising for industrial production due to its composition with >10% of starch. So, this study aimed to characterize starch, extracted in aqueous solution, from three different parts (bottom, middle and top) of the young bamboo culm of D. asper (SB, SM and ST, respectively). Morphological and physicochemical characteristics of the young bamboo culm starches were evaluated, besides thermal properties, and the obtained data were evaluated by ANOVA and Scott-Knot test (p < 0.05). The starches presented pale yellow coloration, with high luminosity (L* > 89), and lower index in the red region. SEM images showed compound granules, which under polarized light exhibit a Maltese cross. The starches presented polyhedral shape and small size with an average diameter of 5.4 μm. All the samples presented low moisture (7.0 g/100 g), protein (2.0 g/100 g), lipid (0.3 g/100 g) and ash (1.0 g/100 g) contents. ST and SB showed apparent amylose content similar to starches from cereals and isolated from bamboo seeds. This agress to molecular size distribution of starch chains, since the SB, SM and ST presented amylopectin levels higher than those of amylose, as well as normal starches. The chain length of amylopectin presented the main peak at DP 12-13 and the second on at DP 43, similar to cereals like wheat, rice and barley. Its chain has higher proportion of short chains, which corroborates with the A-type polymorph presented. Concerning about thermal properties, all the samples presented high gelatinization temperature (>78 °C) and low enthalpies values (<6.35 J·g-1), which indicates the greater molecular organization. The gelatinization temperatures of gelatinized starches were lower than the native ones. The physicochemical and thermal characteristics of the obtained starches corroborate with the success of the extraction, which keep the starch granule native, and were similar to those of other starches already used in food and non-food products.

Difference of nutritional components between Phyllostachys edulis seeds and main grain crops / Phyllostachys edulis tohumları ile temel tahıllardaki besin ögelerinin farkı

Abstract Objective: Major nutritional components of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) seeds were compared with main grain crops to study their nutritional and utilization value. Methods: Older P. edulis seeds were harvested in autumn 2012 and stored at 4°C for 2 years, while fresh seeds were collected in autumn 2014. Starch, protein and fat contents of both old and fresh seeds were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometer, Kjeldahl method, and acid hydrolysis method, respectively. The amino acid and fatty acid components of the old and fresh seeds were also analyzed with an auto-amino acid analyzer and a gas chromatograph, respectively. In addition, activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase in both old and fresh seeds were measured. Results: Starch was the main content of P. edulis seeds. Activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase in fresh P. edulis seeds were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) than those that had been stored at 4°C for two years. Similar decline was also observed in the nutritional content of seeds upon two years of storage. Conclusion: The seeds are starchy, containing high levels of protein, moderate fat levels and a wide range of amino acids. Notably, P. edulis seeds contain high levels of essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids and have great value for human nutrition and health. Its protein and essential amino acids contents were higher than that of main grain crops, while the fat content was low. Storage effect of two years on seeds and fresh grain was significant.

Non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica Thunb.)

Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) is a popular ornamental shrub used as an indoor plant and for landscaping. However, seed propagation has been limited due to its very slow germination (9 months under natural conditions) caused by an extended seed dormancy period. We used various temperature treatments, including simulations of seasonal temperature changes, to investigate the temperature requirements for dormancy breaking and the germination of heavenly bamboo seeds at the embryo and whole-seed levels. Heavenly bamboo seeds were found to have no physical dormancy because the seeds imbibed water readily. However, its mature seeds contained underdeveloped embryos (E:S ratio <0.2) that had morphological dormancy. The seeds did not germinate within a month of incubation at fluctuating temperatures of 25/15, 20/10, and 15/6, or at 5°C alone, which indicated that they had morphophysiological dormancy as well as morphological dormancy. A simulation study of seasonal temperatures (move-along test) showed that warm stratification (25/15°C) was needed to stimulate embryo growth and germinate the seeds, but cold stratification (5°C) was not required. Warm stratification at a constant 20°C hastened seed germination more than a fluctuating temperature at 25/15°C, and it led to a germination time that was shorter by 4 months than that under natural conditions. Application of gibberellic acid (GA3) at 100 and 1000mgL−1 could substitute for warm stratification and broke dormancy in seeds incubated at 15/6°C. These results suggested that heavenly bamboo seeds had non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy, which could be broken by warm stratification at 25/15 or 20°C.

Improvement of hypocrellin production by a new fungal source and optimization of cultivation conditions

ABSTRACTHypocrellins is regarded as the new generation of potential photosensitizer in the photodynamic therapy. However, the current production of HA in large quantity is limited, whether extracted from the fruit bodies of Hypcrella bambusae and Shiraia bambusicola, or its fermented mycelia. To break through the bottleneck, we screened over 350 fungal strains from the uncommon moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) seeds, and acquired 14 isolates of Shiraia sp. Hypocrellins were generally extracted from the stroma of S. bambusicola, and however the hypocrellin-producing strains in our study were identified as endophytic fungi, where several of them exhibited significantly high content of hypocrellins. One of them, a newly isolated Shiraia sp. strain ZZZ816 was selected for further research. The hypocrellin production conditions of the strain ZZZ816 under submerged fermentation were optimized by one-factor-at-a-time and orthogonal experiment design. The optimum parameters for the quid fermentation were determined as follows: incubation time (144 h), initial pH (6.0), volume of medium (100/250 mL), rotary speed (130 rpm), mycelial age (60 h) and inoculation level (10%). The optimum culture medium constituents were determined as follows: yeast extract 20g/L, malt sugar 40g/L, FeSO4·H2O 0.5g/L, urea 4.0g/L, MgS04·7H20 0.5g/L and initial pH 5.0. Using submerged fermentation of the optimum production conditions, the maximum content of hypocrellin A from the strain ZZZ816 was 921.6 mg/L, more than the other industrial strains published in the previous reports. The results demonstrated that Shiraia sp. strain ZZZ816 could enhance the hypocrellin production tremendously with optimizing the fermentation progress.

High-efficiency biosynthesis of hypocrellin A in Shiraia sp. using gamma-ray mutagenesis.

Hypocrellin A (HA), well known as one of the best natural pigments and bioactive agent to treat skin diseases, is further anticipated to play a vital role in photodynamic therapy (PDT) in anticancer and antiviral treatments. In this study, an HA-producing strain ZZZ816 (Shiraia sp.) was isolated from the moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) seeds, and gamma irradiation was used to mutagenize spores of the original strain. After treatment with cobalt-60 gamma ((60)Coγ) with different doses (20, 50, 80, 100, 150, 180, 300, and 500Gy), the 100Gy was selected as the optimal condition, which led to 77.2% lethality of spores and 35% positive mutant frequency. The extracted compound of the most excellent HA-producing strain (H-4-2) was precisely analyzed by a combination of seven detection methods, and the maximum HA content was shown to reach 2018.3mg/L. HA production in H-4-2 increased by 414.9% compared to that of original strain ZZZ816 (392mg/L) and was significantly higher than all the other industrial HA-producing strains in published reports.

Characterization of starch from bamboo seeds

This study aimed to characterize structures, physical properties, and enzymatic‐hydrolysis rate of starch isolated from bamboo seeds (Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens (Mazel) Ohwi) in comparison with that of indica and japonica‐rice starch. The bamboo seeds consisted of 68.2% starch (dry basis, db), which was lower than the indica and japonica‐rice kernels (85.1 and 87.1%, respectively). The bamboo‐seed starch also had compound granules, with morphology and sizes comparable to the rice starches. The bamboo‐seed amylopectin had a similar branch‐chain‐length distribution to the indica‐rice amylopectin, and both had longer average branch‐chain length (DP = 19.1 and 19.7, respectively) than the japonica‐rice amylopectin (DP = 17.1). The bamboo‐seed and indica‐rice starches showed higher onset gelatinization temperatures (To = 68.9 and 71.9°C, respectively) and gelatinization enthalpy changes (ΔH = 14.2 and 15.3 J/g), larger percentages of retrogradation (57.1 and 55.4%), but slower enzymatic‐hydrolysis rates (50.6 and 46.3% at 24 h) than the japonica‐rice starch (56.4°C, 14.0 J/g, 11.4%, and 66.2%, respectively). The bamboo‐seed starch displayed a higher pasting temperature but substantially lower viscosity than the rice starches, which could be attributed to its larger amylose content and smaller molecular weight and gyration‐radius of the amylopectin.

Potential role of masting by introduced bamboos in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) population irruptions holds public health consequences.

We hypothesized that the ongoing naturalization of frost/shade tolerant Asian bamboos in North America could cause environmental consequences involving introduced bamboos, native rodents and ultimately humans. More specifically, we asked whether the eventual masting by an abundant leptomorphic (“running”) bamboo within Pacific Northwest coniferous forests could produce a temporary surfeit of food capable of driving a population irruption of a common native seed predator, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), a hantavirus carrier. Single-choice and cafeteria-style feeding trials were conducted for deer mice with seeds of two bamboo species (Bambusa distegia and Yushania brevipaniculata), wheat, Pinus ponderosa, and native mixed diets compared to rodent laboratory feed. Adult deer mice consumed bamboo seeds as readily as they consumed native seeds. In the cafeteria-style feeding trials, Y. brevipaniculata seeds were consumed at the same rate as native seeds but more frequently than wheat seeds or rodent laboratory feed. Females produced a median litter of 4 pups on a bamboo diet. Given the ability of deer mice to reproduce frequently whenever food is abundant, we employed our feeding trial results in a modified Rosenzweig-MacArthur consumer-resource model to project the population-level response of deer mice to a suddenly available/rapidly depleted supply of bamboo seeds. The simulations predict rodent population irruptions and declines similar to reported cycles involving Asian and South American rodents but unprecedented in deer mice. Following depletion of a mast seed supply, the incidence of Sin Nombre Virus (SNV) transmission to humans could subsequently rise with dispersal of the peridomestic deer mice into nearby human settlements seeking food.

Rodent outbreak in relation to bamboo flowering in north-eastern region of India

Rodent outbreaks have been recorded in the north-eastern hill region of India since time immemorial. This study was carried out in Arunachal Pradesh where rodent outbreaks are associated with Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa tulda, Bambusa balcoa and Schizostachyum arunachalensis. Four species of rodents are reported in the flowering area of which Rattus rattus is predominant and causes greatest damage to many crops. The greatest damage recorded in rice ranged from 12.9% to 15.4% in the bamboo flowering year, whereas it was 5.3% to 5.8% in the non-flowering year. Higher levels of damage were also observed in maize, pineapple, cabbage, French bean, potato, tomato and tapioca in bamboo flowering affected area than in other areas. Live burrows count, trap index and percent damage revealed that in bamboo flowering areas, the rodent population was significantly increased. The comparison of nutrient content of bamboo seeds and other food materials suggested that higher carbohydrate content of the bamboo seeds triggered the active behaviour of rodents. Damage was caused only to those crops which are a very good source of carbohydrate. The cumulative effects of rainfall, flowering season, hunting of predatory animals or birds and geographical barriers might be responsible for the outbreak of rodents. The study also explains why every flowering season does not result in a rodent outbreak of the same severity.