**9. Bamboo furniture**

bamboo leaves lead to 70% weight gain more than those do fed on standard organic diets. This suggests that the fibre in the bamboo leaves enlarge the digestive tract and enable the

The ashes of bamboo are used to polish jewels and manufacture electrical batteries. Bamboo beverage and beer have been widely accepted mainly in Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan. Bamboo has been reported to be valuable in health care delivery and processed into beverages, medicines, pesticides and other household items such as toothpaste, soaps, etc. The culm, shoot and leaf of bamboo have been reported to possess anti-oxidation, anti-ageing, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Some materials extracted from bamboo are used in fresh flavour and preservation of food. This is due to the nutritious and active minerals (such as vitamins, amino acids, flavine, phenolic acids, polysaccharide, trace elements and steroids) they contain [76]. Bamboo leaf contains 2–5% flavine and phenolic compound that have the power to remove active oxy-free radicals, stopping nitrification and abating blood fat. Of late, research has shown bamboo charcoal as one of the base materials for human health, from water treatment to its uses as a shield from electromagnetic radiation. Bamboo extracts contain valuable elements, which are used in pharmaceuticals, creams and beverages. Bamboo gas can be used as a substitute for petroleum. Activated charcoal is used as a deodorant, purifier, disinfectant, medicine, agricultural chemicals and an absorbent of pollution and excessive moisture. A number of researchers have also produced bamboo ethanol and butanol. Butanol is similar to ethanol being a form of alcohol. It has high-density; non-corrosive and can, therefore, be mixed with gasoline. Another significant product from bamboo is activated carbon. Activated carbon is a non-graphitic form of carbon, which is produced by activation of any carbonaceous material such as bamboo, wood chips, etc. Activated carbon is employed in the decolourisation of sugar and sweeteners, drinking water treatment, gold recovery, production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, catalytic process, off-gas treatment of waste incinerators, automotive

Some chemical and pharmaceutical products are cellulose, bio-ethanol, bio-methane, starch,

Bamboo is known as one of the materials more versatile to the handicraft production because it is a raw material of easy acquisition, low-cost and demands simple tools in preparation. Besides, bamboo is also a material of high plasticity and easy to combine with other materials. Hence, it allows an artist to express his talent in several forms. Handicraft products with bamboo are exported mainly from Asian countries to other parts of the world. The excellent quality of these products is due to good qualification of the workforce and the availability of

chicken to consume more and grow faster.

38 Bamboo - Current and Future Prospects

**7. Bamboo chemicals and pharmaceutical products**

vapour filters, colour/odour correction in wines and fruit juices.

charcoal, flavour and preservatives, bamboo leaf tea (see **Table 5**).

**8. Bamboo handicraft products**

machines that assist the production process.

Bamboo serves as an excellent alternative to wood in the manufacture of furniture. It competes in market of wood without restrictions. In Asia, there is a significant production of furniture of bamboo. Artists of this continent have refined techniques that qualify these products to exigent markets. Various bamboo furniture products including bamboo panel, composite board and particleboard have been developed in China [76]. Bamboo mat board is being manufactured in China, India, Thailand and Vietnam [5]. Other bamboo furniture products are beds, cupboard, table, upholstery chairs [75], ply bamboo, laminated bamboo, mat ply bamboo, curtains ply bamboo, laminated bamboo strips, mat curtain plywood, bamboo chipboard, floor tiles and composites. Laminated bamboo furniture is on the rise rapidly in the world especially Asia. When bamboo is laminated and used to produce furniture, it is difficult to differentiate it from wood [75]. **Table 5** shows some typical bamboo species and parts used for this purpose.
