A study has shed new light on how bamboo, a highly fibrous plant, provides energy for giant pandas, which have a digestive tract¹ similar to carnivores.

一项研究揭示了竹子这种高度纤维状植物是如何为大熊猫这种消化道与食肉动物相似的动物提供能量。

Researchers performed a large-scale metagenome sequencing study of the gut² microbiota of giant pandas, which feed almost exclusively on bamboo.

研究人员对大熊猫肠道微生物群进行了大规模的元胞测序研究，这些大熊猫几乎完全以竹子为食。

They found that their gut microbiota does not significantly contribute to the degradation³ of cellulose and lignin, which are abundant in bamboo. The finding suggests that the animals do not depend on cellulose or lignin to obtain energy.

他们发现，它们的肠道微生物群对纤维素和木质素的降解没有显著的作用，这些纤维素和木质素富含在竹子内。这一发现表明，这些动物并不依赖纤维素或木质素来获得能量。

Instead, they rely on starch⁴ and hemicelluloses in the plant for energy, researchers said.

研究人员说，相反他们依靠植物中的淀粉和半纤维素来获取能量。

Giant pandas have a higher capability⁵ of digesting starch than strict carnivores. They develop increasing abilities to digest starch following the dietary transition from breast milk to bamboo, according to the study.

大熊猫比严格意义上的食肉动物有着更强大的消化淀粉的能力。根据这项研究，大熊猫完成从母乳到竹子的饮食方式转变后，便逐步发展其消化淀粉的能力。

The animals have much higher digestibility for hemicellulose than cellulose, and they prefer bamboo shoots, tender leaves and first-year bamboo, with an abundance of hemicelluloses.

动物对半纤维素的消化率远高于纤维素，它们更喜欢竹笋、嫩叶和一年生竹，这些植物半纤维素含量丰富。

Since sufficient bamboo shoots are important for breeding energy-needs, researchers suggest more attention be paid to protect bamboo shoots during the mating and childbirth season of giant pandas in the wild.

由于足够的竹笋对繁殖能量需求很重要，研究人员建议在野生大熊猫交配和生育季节应更多地注意保护竹笋。

Giant pandas love bamboo partly because it is everywhere in their habitats, and they have few competitors for the food, said Zhang Wenping, who is the first author of the research paper.

“大熊猫喜欢竹子，部分原因是竹子在它们的栖息地到处都是，而且它们几乎没有竞争对手。”研究论文的第一作者张文平说。

In addition, bamboo has high levels of starch among all woody plants, said Zhang, a researcher with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

中国西南方的四川省成都大熊猫饲养基地研究员张补充道：除此之外，竹子是所有木本植物中淀粉含量很高的。

The research paper was published in The ISME Journal earlier this month.

本月早些时候，该研究论文发表在isme期刊上。