LAUSR

Abstract Bamboo seed is traditionally regarded as a gift from nature, which is consumed as “bamboo rice” and used in traditional medicine in some regions of the world. However, the basic nutritional profile of bamboo seed is poorly understood. Here, we collected seeds of five species of bamboo and compared them with rice and wheat in terms of morphology, nutritional quality, and concentration and distribution of mineral elements. In general, bamboo seeds had a longer length and shorter width than rice and wheat, but showed a similar 1000-grain weight to wheat. The contents of soluble protein and soluble sugar in bamboo seeds were lower than in rice and wheat, but the starch content was similar. The concentration of some mineral elements in bamboo seeds showed multiple differences when compared with rice and wheat. In particular, the concentrations of the toxic heavy metals Cd and Pb were significantly higher in bamboo seeds than in rice and wheat. The distribution of different elements in seeds of bamboo, rice, and wheat was successfully visualized and clearly showed that mineral elements tended to be enriched in the embryo and pericarp, although some differences were detected in the cellular localization of elements in different species. Furthermore, a physiological experiment showed bamboo had higher root-to-shoot translocation of Cd and Pb than rice. These results present for the first time the nutrient profile of bamboo seeds; the high accumulation of essential minerals in bamboo seeds suggests that the seeds might be a good natural food for addressing mineral malnutrition.