BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF DESERT TRUFFLE TERFEZIA BOUDIERI CHATIN

Truffles are hypogeous ascomycete fungi that make a mycorrhizal association with some vascular plants.
Of these, desert truffles are economically important and widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of Tunisia.
This study was undertaken to increase our knowledge of biochemical properties that would be important for characterizing their nutritional value.
Ascocarps of Terfezia boudieri Chatin were collected for biochemical analysis from the southeast of Tunisia.
Fruit bodies of this species contain 15.4% total sugars, 2.02% soluble sugars, and 10.5% protein on a dry weight basis. T. boudieri is rich in Ca, K, P and Mg.
This truffle contains high contents of Fe and Na.
Our truffle contains more calcium than Tuber melanosporum and T. magnatum species.
This truffle species have been valued as edible resource in arid area of Tunisia and constitute an important food for the local population characterized by a low life level.

International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants – SIPAM2009

A. Slama, M. Neffati, A. Boudabous

ascocarps, carbohydrates, ions, proteins, truffle, Tunisia

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.853.33