Tour of Truffles: Aromas, Aphrodisiacs, Adaptogens, and More

Abstract

Truffles are the fruiting bodies of ascomycete fungi that form underground. Truffles are globally valued, culturally celebrated as aphrodisiacs, and highly sought-after delicacies in the culinary world. For centuries, naturalists have speculated about their mode of formation, and in cultures surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, many species have been prized as a delectable food source. Truffle fruiting bodies form underground and emit a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Truffle volatiles are believed to have evolved to attract animals that disperse their spores. The main VOCs identified from truffles include sulfur compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS); in addition, 1-octen-3-ol and 2-methyl-1-propanol have been found in most truffle species. Humans use pigs and dogs trained to detect truffle VOCs in order to find these prized subterranean macrofungi. Truffles have pharmacological potential, but until more reliable cultivation methods become available their high price means they are unlikely to see widespread use as medicinals.

A role for GnRH in olfaction and cognition: Implications for veterinary medicine

“…Preclinical studies in mice demonstrated that alterations in GnRH neuronal function in addition to blunt learning abilities could also alter the ability of subjects to discriminate odours (Manfredi‐Lozano et al, 2022). Scent‐detecting dogs have been used to identify specific odours for a long time (Allen & Bennett, 2021; Moser et al, 2019; Simon et al, 2020). Despite the fact that the trainability of dogs may depend on sex, for example with respect to drug detection performance, males appear to perform better in drug detection training than females, neutered dogs of both sexes were shown to be less trainable than intact animals (Abdel Fattah & Abdel‐Hamid, 2020).…”

Identification of Bis(methylsulfanyl)methane and Furan-2(5H)-one as Volatile Marker Compounds for the Differentiation of the White Truffle Species Tuber magnatum and Tuber borchii

“…Risotto, pasta, pizza, omelet, salad, and polenta are just some popular dishes that are commonly served with a topping of white truffle slices. 3,6 Only two species predominantly share the white truffle market: Tuber magnatum Picco, yielding the Alba truffle or Piedmont truffle, and Tuber borchii Vittad., previously named Tuber albidum, yielding the Bianchetto truffle. 1,3,5,7 Both species are native to Europe.…”

“…3,6 Only two species predominantly share the white truffle market: Tuber magnatum Picco, yielding the Alba truffle or Piedmont truffle, and Tuber borchii Vittad., previously named Tuber albidum, yielding the Bianchetto truffle. 1,3,5,7 Both species are native to Europe. The occurrence of T. magnatum is not limited to the Piedmont region of Italy, but this species is also found in other Italian regions, in Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Slovenia.…”

“…1,6 Whereas other species, including T. borchii, are successfully cultivated in truffle plantations, cultivation of T. magnatum has rarely been effective to date. 3,4,10 In contrast to the substantial differences in price and availability, the appearances of T. magnatum and T. borchii truffles are often very similar. T. magnatum truffles are typically 2−6 cm in size but can reach up to 15 cm.…”

Black Truffles Affect Quercus aliena Physiology and Root-Associated nirK- and nirS-Type Denitrifying Bacterial Communities in the Initial Stage of Inoculation

“…Tuber spp., commonly known as truffles, belong to the family Tuberaceae in the order Pezizales, phylum Ascomycota. The truffle fruiting bodies are valuable because of their specific aroma and are expensive delicacies due to the decreasing yields of wild truffles and unpredictability of cultivation ( Allen and Bennett, 2021 ). Tuber spp.…”