NUTRITONS OF PENINSULAR INDIA
Answers
Answer:
The health benefits of bamboo shoots have been scantily understood until recently. In Peninsular India, awareness on edible shoot utilization has been confined to two species B. bambos and D. strictus found naturally in forested areas, Lack of awareness about the nutritional value of the shoots and also the non-availability of choice species of bamboo have been major bottlenecks. Studies on nutrition aspects of six bamboo species of the same age class (5-6 yr old) was carried out in tropical humid region and semiarid region of Karnataka in peninsular region revealed some interesting characteristicsIt was observed that macronutrients like Protein: 1.66-3.45 g/100g Fresh Weight (FW); Carbohydrates: 4.9 – 7.1 g/100g FW; Fiber: 1.57 – 3.7 g/100g FW and mineral elements composition (Sodium: 9.23 – 15.04 mg/100g FW; Potassium: 268.33 – 515.67 mg/100g FW) of the same six species grown in humid tropics and semiarid locations varied significantly and was on par with the nutritional composition of shoots reported from Northeast India. Maximum variation was observed in D.asper shoots with 80% more HCN content in semiarid region (1831 ppm/100g FW) as compared to humid tropics (366 ppm/100g FW). D.asper could be a potential species with rich nutritional composition for consumption in the tropical humid conditions. D. stocksii, a species endemic to Central Western Ghats, previously not considered edible in the region, was found to nutritionally on par with other specie. This study has attempted to throw light on the nutritional potential of some industrially important bamboo species in Peninsular India.
Explanation: