Bamboo as an eco-friendly material for food and biotechnology industries

Bamboo is popularly known for industrial applications in papermaking, furniture, building sector, shoot-based food products, fiber extraction, and as a raw material in biotechnology and bioprocesses. Young bamboo culms have proven to be a potential material for fiber and/or starch extraction for food applications; however, further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of the various bamboo species. In addition, studies addressing the economic viability of bioprocesses using bamboo culms as raw material, the treatment of biomass for full utilization of plant material, and the evaluation of the effluents generated are also required.