Background: Bamboo is a multipurpose plant known mostly for its industrial uses but is now being recognized as a potential source of bioactive compounds and natural antioxidants. All the parts of the bamboo plant such as rhizome, culm shaving, leaves, roots, shoots and seeds have clinical applications. Studies have revealed that bamboo is a rich source of antioxidants and regular consumption of bamboo-based products may reduce the risk of age-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer and diabetes.

Scope and approach: This review article reports a comprehensive insight concerning antioxidants and antioxidant properties of bamboo shoots and leaves and their prospects for utilization in the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. Antioxidants are vital constituents in the food and pharmaceutical industry as they scavenge free radicals that cause deterioration of products during processing and storage. They also promote human health by neutralizing cell damage caused by free radicals.

Key findings and conclusion: Antioxidants are known to confer health benefits such as prevention of cancer and degenerative diseases, slowing down the aging process and promotion of cardiovascular health. The main antioxidants in bamboo leaves and shoots are phenols, vitamin C & E and mineral elements such as selenium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese. At present, natural antioxidants are in great demand as synthetic antioxidants being used in food and pharmaceuticals may be deleterious to health. Hence, bamboo a fast growing plant with huge biomass can serve as an alternative for the production of natural antioxidants.

背景：竹子是一种多用途植物，主要​​因其工业用途而闻名，但现在被认为是生物活性化合物和天然抗氧化剂的潜在来源。竹子植物的所有部分，例如根茎，切茎，叶子，根，芽和种子，都有临床应用。研究表明，竹子是抗氧化剂的丰富来源，经常食用基于竹子的产品可以降低与年龄有关的慢性疾病的风险，包括心血管疾病，阿尔茨海默氏病，帕金森氏病，癌症和糖尿病。

范围和方法：这篇综述文章报告了有关竹笋和树叶的抗氧化剂和抗氧化特性的全面见解，以及它们在开发功能性食品和营养保健品中的应用前景。抗氧化剂是食品和制药行业的重要组成部分，因为它们清除了自由基，这些自由基会导致加工和存储过程中产品变质。它们还通过中和自由基引起的细胞损伤来促进人类健康。

主要发现和结论：已知抗氧化剂具有健康益处，例如预防癌症和变性疾病，减缓衰老过程并促进心血管健康。竹叶和芽中的主要抗氧化剂是酚，维生素C和E以及硒，铜，锌，铁和锰等矿物质。目前，由于食品和药品中使用的合成抗氧化剂可能对健康有害，因此天然抗氧化剂的需求量很大。因此，具有大量生物量的快速生长的植物竹可以用作生产天然抗氧化剂的替代方法。