Potentials of truffles in nutritional and medicinal applications: a review

Abstract

Truffles, the symbiotic hypogeous edible fungi, have been worldwide regarded as a great delicacy because of their unique flavor and high nutritional value. By identifying their bioactive components such as phenolics, terpenoids, polysaccharides, anandamide, fatty acids, and ergosterols, researchers have paid attention to their biological activities including antitumor, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities. In addition, numerous factors have been investigating that can affect the quality and productivity of truffles to overcome their difficulty in culturing and preserving. To provide the information for their potential applications in medicine as well as in functional food, this review summarizes the relevant literature about the biochemical composition, aromatic and nutritional benefits, and biological properties of truffles. Besides, various factors affecting their productivity and quality as well as the preservation methods are also highlighted.

Mycochemicals in wild and cultivated mushrooms: nutrition and health

“…Basically, their composition reflects that of the most commonly described fungi, with the exception of two characteristics: the absence of mannitol and the presence of melanins. As reported by Harki et al (2005) and Lee et al (2020), T. melanosporum and T. magnatum, two common species in Italy and among the most appreciated among truffles, are rich in proteins, K and P, sulfur amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acid (more than 60% of total FA content). More specifically, the mature (stage VI) ascocarps of T. melanosporum contain 30.6% carbohydrates (lower than many species of basidiomycetes), 29.7% proteins, and 5.4% lipids, of which linoleic acid prevails (55.9%), followed by oleic and palmitic acid.…”

Antioxidant Profile and Biosafety of White Truffle Mycelial Products Obtained by Solid-State Fermentation

“…belong to the kingdom Fungi, phylum Ascomycota, class Ascomycetes, order Pezizales, family Tuberaceae, and genus Tuber . Hypogeous Ascomycetes fungi establish ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with the roots of certain tree species (i.e., poplar, oak, willow, and shrubs) to form hypogenous fruiting bodies [ 1 , 2 ]. Truffles require particular growth conditions, so that they have limited geographical distribution.…”

“…Truffles are highly appreciated for their culinary and economic value due to their unique characteristic aroma, particularly the French “black diamond’’ truffle T. melanosporum , the rare summer truffle T. aestivum , and the renowned white Italian truffle T. magnatum , which is the most expensive and highly regarded truffle worldwide. Its market demand far exceeds the quantities that can be harvested from its natural wild habitats in Italy [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Sulfur-containing amino acids and certain fatty acids (linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids) are also generally present in truffles [ 5 , 6 ]. Many therapeutic compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunosuppressive, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties have also been isolated from truffle fruiting bodies and fermentation mycelia, and their biological activities have drawn scientific attention [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…In addition, previous investigations on the chemical compositions of truffle fermentation systems showed that the contents of volatile organic compounds, nucleosides and nucleobases, and fatty acids were similar to those of fruiting bodies. Therefore, fermentation is also an efficient approach to meet the ever-increasing world market demand and to mitigate the excessive exploitation of natural truffles [ 1 , 5 , 7 ].…”