Edible mushrooms are important providers of nutrients
and are well
recognized for their particular organoleptic properties. The volatiles
that Tuber releases serve purposes
beyond simply appealing to our sense of smell. Truffles have different
smells and tastes due to the fact that they contain different volatile
components; therefore, aroma is essential in defining the organoleptic
properties and quality of truffles. In this research, seven Tuber species, namely, Tuber ferrugineum, Tuber nitidum, Tuber
excavatum, Tuber rufum, Tuber puberulum, Tuber aestivum, and Tuber borchii were selected. The primary objective of this study was to carry
out the first in-depth investigation of the volatile compounds and
chemometric analysis of seven truffle species from the Tuber genus that are grown in Turkey. The SPME headspace
combined with GC–MS analysis identified 60 volatiles from different
classes, with the abundance of terpenes being followed in a decreasing
order by alcohols, aldehydes, sulfides, ketones, and other aromatic
compounds. According to the chemometric analysis, methional, 3-methyl-4,5-dihydrothiophene, p-(methylthio) benzaldehyde, 3-octene, linalyl acetate,
methyl caproate, and β-trans-ocimene could be highlighted as
markers for T. borchii grown in Turkey.
This investigation was conducted for the first time using T. ferrugineum, T. puberulum, and T. nitidum. The comparison of
the volatile profile of these tubers’ species displayed branded
differences. Thus, the knowledge gained from this research may pave
the way to identify the key aroma contributors in the chosen Tuber species.