PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists unearth secrets of Périgord truffles, the culinary 'black diamond'

2013-12-04
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Scientists unearth secrets of Périgord truffles, the culinary 'black diamond' Just in time for the holidays when cooks in France and elsewhere will be slipping bits of the coveted black Périgord truffle under their turkeys' skin for a luxurious flavor, scientists are revealing the secrets that give the culinary world's "black diamond" its unique, pungent aroma. Their study, which could lead to better ways to determine the freshness and authenticity of the pricey delicacy, appears in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research.

Mark Baker, Shoba Ranganathan and colleagues note that the harvest of the Périgord truffle, a fungus that grows underground around the roots of oak and hazelnut trees in winter, has plummeted recently due to climate change, the loss of arable land and the cultivation of lower-quality truffles. Paired with an increase in demand from "foodies" seeking exotic flavors, prices for this truffle have skyrocketed to more than $900 per pound. Though long celebrated in the kitchen, only recently has the black Périgord truffle garnered scientific attention. In 2010, European scientists published the full genome of the Périgord, but this raw blueprint remained largely un-mined. In their report, Baker and Ranganathan's team go beyond the genetic code to identify and describe the truffle's proteins for a better understanding of the culinary delight.

By marrying techniques in bioinformatics and proteomics, they combed databases to unearth what proteins make the black Périgord truffle, which they obtained from the Marshalls' Terra Preta truffière in Braidwood, New South Wales, unique. They found that more than 2,500 proteins out of the truffle's nearly 13,000 were similar to existing proteins in other fungi, and they identified nine proteins that contribute to the cherished aroma. "This study has resulted in the functional characterization of novel proteins to increase our biological understanding of this organism and uncovered biomarkers of authenticity, freshness and perfume maturation," the scientists state.

### The authors acknowledge funding from the ARC, Macquarie University and Terra Preta Truffles.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter Facebook END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Storing carbon in the Arctic

2013-12-04
Storing carbon in the Arctic While the Arctic Ocean is largely a carbon sink, researchers find parts are also a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide For the past three decades, as the climate has warmed, the massive plates of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean ...

Turning waste into power with bacteria -- and loofahs

2013-12-04
Turning waste into power with bacteria -- and loofahs Loofahs, best known for their use in exfoliating skin to soft, radiant perfection, have emerged as a new potential tool to advance sustainability efforts on two fronts at the same time: energy and waste. ...

Quieting rail transit

2013-12-04
Quieting rail transit New devices may cut wheel squeal in public rail systems but do little to reduce rolling noise, research says SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 27, 2013 – Vibration absorbers are devices used to damp vibration in everything from engines to buildings. ...

MU researcher develops virtual wall which could stop the spread of oil and could help build invisible barrier for oil spills

2013-12-04
MU researcher develops virtual wall which could stop the spread of oil and could help build invisible barrier for oil spills

American Society of Hematology releases list of commonly used tests and treatments to question as part of Choosing Wisely campaign

2013-12-04
American Society of Hematology releases list of commonly used tests and treatments to question as part of Choosing Wisely campaign Group aims to encourage physician and patient conversations by identifying 5 tests or procedures to question, highlighting ...

Investigating the link between Parkinson's and pesticides

2013-12-04
Investigating the link between Parkinson's and pesticides In a seemingly simple experiment, a scientist exposes rats to a certain pesticide over several days, and the rodents start showing symptoms remarkably similar to those seen in Parkinson's patients. ...

Carnegie Mellon scheme uses shared visual cues to help people remember multiple passwords

2013-12-04
Carnegie Mellon scheme uses shared visual cues to help people remember multiple passwords New approach strikes balance between password security and usability PITTSBURGH—It turns out that the way to keep track of your many passwords to online accounts is the same ...

Can iPads help students learn science? Yes.

2013-12-04
Can iPads help students learn science? Yes. The scale of the universe can be difficult to comprehend. Pretend you are going to make a scale model with a basketball representing the Earth and a tennis ball as the Moon. How far would you ...

Multiple mates worth the risk for female prairie dogs

2013-12-04
Multiple mates worth the risk for female prairie dogs FROSTBURG, MD (December 4, 2013) –Mating with more than one male increases reproductive success for female prairie dogs, despite an increase in risks. This is according to ...

Mysteries of Earth's radiation belts uncovered by NASA twin spacecraft

2013-12-04
Mysteries of Earth's radiation belts uncovered by NASA twin spacecraft DURHAM, N.H. -- Just over a year since launch, NASA's Van Allen Probes mission continues to unravel longstanding mysteries of Earth's high-energy radiation belts that encircle our planet and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New study and major data updates expand the Kids First data ecosystem

Seaweed snare: Sargassum stops sea turtle hatchlings in their tracks

Scientists uncover key to decoupling economic growth from pollution in developing countries

Frailty fuels gut imbalance and post-surgery gastrointestinal risks

BMS-986504 demonstrates durable responses in MTAP-deleted NSCLC, including EGFR and ALK-positive tumors

Phase III trial finds hypofractionated radiotherapy with chemotherapy offers comparable survival and lower toxicity to conventional schedule in LS-SCLC

Lung cancer screening benefits adults up to age 80 if surgical candidates, UK study finds

Video assisted thoracoscopy surgery reduces mortality by 21 percent compared to lobectomy

NADIM ADJUVANT trial suggests benefit of adjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in resected stage IB–IIIA NSCLC

EA5181 phase 3 trial finds no OS benefit for concurrent and consolidative durvalumab vs consolidation alone in unresectable stage 3 NSCLC

Training to improve memory

Are patients undergoing surgery for early-stage cancer at risk of persistent opioid use?

Black youth, especially Black girls, use mental health services less than their White peers

Canada must protect youth from sports betting advertising

First-in-human trial shows promising results for DLL3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate SHR-4849 in relapsed small cell lung cancer

Ifinatamab deruxtecan demonstrates high response rate in previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: Phase 2 IDeate-Lung01 trial

Higher blood pressure in childhood linked to earlier death from heart disease in adulthood

AI helped older adults report accurate blood pressure readings at home

High blood pressure in childhood and premature cardiovascular disease mortality

Zidesamtinib shows durable responses in ROS1 TKI pre-treated NSCLC, including patients with CNS disease and ROS1 G2032R mutations

Crizotinib fails to improve disease-free survival in resected early-stage ALK+ NSCLC

Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy improves progression-free survival in patients with EGFR+ NSCLC following 3rd-generation EGFR-TKI therapy

FLAURA2 trial shows osimertinib plus chemotherapy improves overall survival in eGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC

Aumolertinib plus chemotherapy improves progression-free survival in NSCLC with EGFR and concomitant tumor suppressor genes: ACROSS 2 phase III study

New antibody-drug conjugate shows promising efficacy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients

Iza-Bren in combination with osimertinib shows 100% response rate in EGFR-mutated NSCLC, phase II study finds

COMPEL study shows continuing osimertinib treatment through progression with the addition of chemotherapy improves progression-free survival in EGFR-mutated NSCLC

CheckMate 77T: Nivolumab maintains quality of life and reduces symptom deterioration in resectable NSCLC

Study validates AI lung cancer risk model Sybil in predominantly Black population at urban safety-net hospital

New medication lowered hard-to-control high blood pressure in people with chronic kidney disease

[Press-News.org] Scientists unearth secrets of Périgord truffles, the culinary 'black diamond'