Tour of Truffles: Aromas, Aphrodisiacs, Adaptogens, and More
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 7/1/2021
- View Source
Summary
Truffles are expensive underground mushrooms prized for their distinctive aromas and flavors, with prices reaching thousands of euros per kilogram. Their unique smell comes from over 300 different chemical compounds, many produced with help from bacteria living in the truffle. Beyond their use as luxury food, truffles contain compounds that may have health benefits including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Background
Truffles are underground fruiting bodies of ascomycete fungi that have been prized for centuries as delicacies and alleged aphrodisiacs. They emit volatile organic compounds believed to attract animals for spore dispersal. Despite their cultural significance and culinary importance, reliable cultivation methods remain limited.
Objective
To comprehensively review truffle history, taxonomy, cultivation methods, volatile organic compounds, aphrodisiacal properties, and potential medicinal applications as adaptogens and functional foods.
Results
Over 300 different volatile organic compounds have been identified from various truffle species, with sulfur-containing compounds being most distinctive. Key volatiles include dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and bis(methylthio)methane. Recent microbiome research reveals bacteria and yeasts contribute significantly to characteristic truffle aromas.
Conclusion
Truffles possess complex volatile profiles that mediate ecological interactions and contribute to culinary value. They contain bioactive metabolites with anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties suitable for adaptogenic and functional food applications. Advances in cultivation techniques may improve accessibility and enable pharmaceutical development.
- Published in:Mycobiology,
- Study Type:Review,
- Source: PMID: 34290545