*Assistant Professor, Post Graduate and Research,
The starch content in bamboo culms is an important influencing factor for its utilization. Various changes of starch content in the culms of Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss and Dendrocalamus strictus Ness were observed in a systematic way. In some of the rural areas, the people followed some conventional practices such as water soaking and boiling for increasing the durability of bamboo culms. However, the scientific reason of boiling of bamboo culms was not earlier reported. The present study shows that the starch content in control sample had accumulation of small individual grains within the cell, while samples subjected to boiling showed crowding and lump formation of starch within the cells. Thus, it is probable that boiling can result in physical modification namely, swelling and gelatinization of starch grains within the cells. After felling the culms were stored at normal room temperature for one week. During this period amylase activity was observed and its results showed that amylase activity initially increases to a higher level followed by a decline. This showed that the starch content in bamboo culms may reduce without any physical treatment.
Starch, Amylase, Traditional, Utilization
