Saccharification conditions of bamboo sawing (Bambusa vulgaris Schrad.) were determined for the stablishment of an analytic method for starch determination in bamboo culm. The results showed that the best conditions for sawing saccharification were obtained with a 2.0% (v/v) sulfuric acid solution after 60 minutes of reaction under heating, using the relationship 1:30 (w/v) between the quantity of bamboo sawing and the volume of the acid solution. In this conditions the starch content in the bamboo culm was calculated by the following expressions: A = (Gh - Ga) x 0.9, where: A = starch content in the bamboo sawing, expressed in percentage (oven dry); Gh = glucose yield, obtained from starch saccharification, expressed in percentage (oven dry); Ga = glucose content in the bamboo sawing, expressed in percentage (oven dry); 0.9 = conversion factor from glucose to starch.
bamboo; starch; method of determination; saccharification