Monitoring the volatile composition and change in different geographical regions and harvest time of Chinese truffle ( Tuber indicum Cooke & Massee)

Truffle is ectomycorrhizal ascomycota and produces hypogeous edible ascocarps, which was globally acknowledged as one of the most expensive food in the gastronomy market due to its unique flavor and texture, good culinary properties as well as health value. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the important contributor for truffle unique flavor. In this study, the VOCs of the Chinese black truffle T. indicum ascocarps from seven different geographical regions and five harvest time in China were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Total 589 compounds were analyzed and 1-octen-3-ol had the highest content in all analyzed samples . Discriminant analysis was carried out on the VOCs to build the models which can determine T. indicum collection region and time authenticity. This study clearly illustrated the characteristics of the VOCs profile of Chinese black truffle in relation to geographical regions and harvest time and provide profitable information for the scientific collection, conservation and utilization of the precious truffle resources in China in future.