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. 2020 May 8;25(9):2217.
doi: 10.3390/molecules25092217.

Can We Discover Truffle's True Identity?

Staša Hamzić Gregorčič  1   2 , Lidija Strojnik  1   2 , Doris Potočnik  1   2 , Katarina Vogel-Mikuš  3 , Marta Jagodic  1   2 , Federica Camin  4   5 , Tea Zuliani  1   2 , Nives Ogrinc  1   2
Affiliations

Can We Discover Truffle's True Identity?

Staša Hamzić Gregorčič et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

This study used elemental and stable isotope composition to characterize Slovenian truffles and used multi-variate statistical analysis to classify truffles according to species and geographical origin. Despite the fact that the Slovenian truffles shared some similar characteristics with the samples originating from other countries, differences in the element concentrations suggest that respective truffle species may respond selectively to nutrients from a certain soil type under environmental and soil conditions. Cross-validation resulted in a 77% correct classification rate for determining the geographical origin and a 74% correct classification rate to discriminate between species. The critical parameters for geographical origin discriminations were Sr, Ba, V, Pb, Ni, Cr, Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios, while from stable isotopes δ18O and δ13C values are the most important. The key variables that distinguish T.magnatum from other species are the levels of V and Zn and δ15N values. Tuber aestivum can be separated based on the levels of Ni, Cr, Mn, Mg, As, and Cu. This preliminary study indicates the possibility to differentiate truffles according to their variety and geographical origin and suggests widening the scope to include stable strontium isotopes.

Keywords: Tuber; elemental composition; geographical origin; multivariate discriminant analysis; species; stable isotopes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
XRF quantitative analysis and Micro-XRF analysis of T. aestivum recorded using the BL6b, SLRI, Polychromatic Beam (Synchrotron Light Research Institute) with 100 µm lateral resolution.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Column scatter plots of element contents in T. aestivum from different geographical regions: SLO (Slovenia), PL (Poland), MK (North Macedonia), IT (Italy), BIH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), CRO (Croatia).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Column scatter plots of element contents in different truffle species: AES (T. aestivum), BRU (T. brumale), IND (T. indicum), MAG (T. magnatum), MEL (T. melanosporum), MES (T. mesentericum), and MAC (T. macrosporum).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Relationship between δ15N and δ13C values in Tuber species.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) A plot of the relationship between δ2H and δ18O of truffle samples from eight countries: SLO (Slovenia), BIH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), CN (China), CRO (Croatia), ES (Spain), IT (Italy), MK (North Macedonia), PL (Poland). A line drawn through the data in the plot shows that the data are strongly linked together (y = 8.1x − 171.8; r2 = 0.75, p < 0.001); (b) comparison of natural isotopic abundance (δ2H and δ18O) of T. aestivum in association with host tree species in mixed forest systems (Table S1, Supplementary Material).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Projection of discriminant analysis (DA) of truffle samples regarding their geographical origin: CN (China), CRO (Croatia), ES (Spain), IT (Italy), MK (North Macedonia), PL (Poland), SLO (Slovenia). Yellow markers refer to centroids.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Projection of unit vectors for discriminant analysis (DA) of truffle samples regarding their geographical origin: CN (China), CRO (Croatia), ES (Spain), IT (Italy), MK (North Macedonia), PL (Poland), SLO (Slovenia).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Projection of discriminant analysis (DA) of different truffle species: TUBAES (T. aestivum), TUBBRU (T. brumale), TUBIND (T. indicum), TUBMAG (T. magnatum), TUBMEL (T. melanosporum), and TUBMES (T. mesentericum).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Geologic map of Slovenia (GeoSZ, 2013) with sample sites from the dataset (Table S1, Supplementary Material) marked as black stars. In the background are colored European countries with marked natural sites where truffles were collected: Italy, North Macedonia, Croatia, Poland, Spain, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only samples from China were purchased on the market.
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