Bamboo and fungi

Bamboos are fast growing woody grasses and have an increasing importance for the sustainable production of materials with many applications. However, bamboo culms and products can be colonized and damaged by fungi and insects during storage, transport and final use. This review describes the isolation of moulds, their identification by molecular techniques as well as mould prevention using organic acids. Laboratory samples were discoloured by blue-stain fungi. Light microscopy showed the typical characteristics of blue-stain fungi in wood. Degradation by rot fungi was investigated on agar in preserving jars and on soil in the Fungus cellar. White-rot and soft-rot fungi decayed bamboo more than brown-rot species. Moisture from soil influenced decay. Chemical analyses of the cell wall components cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin reflected the obtained mass loss. Transmission electron microscopy showed a wood-like degradation pattern. UV microspectrophotometry of cell wall layers revealed attack on lignin by white-rot fungi.