Bamboo Leaves: An Emerging Multi-functional Food

Bamboos form a unique group of giant arborescent grasses belonging to the family Poaceae and sub-family Bambuseae. Bamboo leaves are the favorite food of pandas and many other animals and are much valued as fodder. Other than this, its uses in the food industry in various food products, bamboo wine and as packaging material are being explored. Anti-oxidant of bamboo leaves (AOB), a novel food anti-oxidant is used in many food products and has been found to contain antioxidants, flavanoids and other bioactive compounds that help in the prevention of various degenerative diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart problems etc. However, there is no systematic review that explores the nutritional value and uses of bamboo leaves in different sectors. Therefore, this paper reviews the nutritional composition and spectrum of usage in the food industry. Bamboo leaves have great potential as a food additive and more research attempts on its use as a nutraceutical and functional foods are needed.