Bamboo shoots have recently attracted significant research and commercial interest due to its use as a new health food and as a potential nutraceuticals. And it has been encouraged to supplement the rising food demands all over the world. In spite of the popular use of bamboo shoots, its associated toxicological properties are also well known. Uses of bamboo shoots are prone to hydrogen cyanide poisoning as bamboo shoots contain taxiphyllin, a cyanogenic glycoside. When fresh plant material is crushed ormacerated, enzymatic hydrolysis releases cyanohydric acid (HCN) and a ketone or aldehyde. The present paper exploresthe cyanohydric acid (HCN) content in the edible bamboo shoots so as to promote certain bamboo species having low cyanogenic glycoside content as safe for consumption. Present study was done on edible shoots of fourteen bamboo species found in Manipur. Amongst them Bambusa balcooa contain the highest level and lowest in Chimonobam busacallosa. The distribution of HCN varies in the portion of the bamboo shoots itself. Highest HCN content was found in the apex region and lowest at the basal portion of the fresh bamboo shoot. The cyanogenic glycosides content in bamboo shoots were found to decrease substantially in the fermented samples below the human toxic level. KEYWORDS cyanogenic glycosides/ Bamboo Shoots.
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