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Dimethyl sulphide: The secret for black truffle hunting by animals?

Article  in  Mycological Research · March 1990

DOI: 10.1016/S0953-7562(09)80630-8

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Short Communications 277

Dimethyl sulphide: the secret for black truffle hunting by

animals ?
T. TALOU, A. GASET A N D M. DELMAS
Laboratoire de Chimie des Agroressources, Ecole Nationale Supe'rieure de Chimie 118, route de Narbonne 31077 Toulouse Ce'dex, France

M. KULIFAJ A N D C. M O N T A N T
Laboratoire de Cryptognmie, Llniversith Paul Sabatier de Toulouse 118, route de Narbonne 31062 Toulouse Ce'dex, France

Dimethyl sulphide: the secret for black truffle hunting by animals? Mycological Research 94 ( 2 ) :277-278 (1990).

The capacity of animals to detect underground black truffles (Tuber melanosporum) was studied by burying samples of 5a-androstenol,
reported as a truffle pheromone, of Nature - Identical Black Truffle flavouring, and of solutions of the different volatile components
previously identified in black truffles. Both trained truffle dogs and pigs detected exclusively the flavouring samples and the solutions
of dimethyl sulphide which appeared to be responsible for the animals localization of black truffles.

Key words: Tuber melanospomm, Dimethyl sulphide, Volatiles.

Black truffles are the fruiting bodies of the hypogeous fungus
Tuber melanosporum Vitt. which grows in symbiosis with
certain trees, especially oaks. During its limited harvesting
season, mainly winter, one finds them in several regions of
southern Europe especially Spain, Italy and France. When used
in the culinary field, they impart to dishes to which they are
added a flavour that has always been very much appreciated
and sought after. Their harvesting is a delicate and always
uncertain operation. Indeed, because truffles remain under-
ground even after maturation, the acute sense of smell of
certain animals is required to find them. Traditionally pigs
were used but they are being rep:-~ed with dogs. The fine
sense of smell of the pig makes it very efficient, but it requires
constant vigilance and firmness, because of the risk of truffles
unearthed with its snout being damaged, or even swallowed.
Moreover, the animal tires rather quickly and its transport is
difficult.
Unlike pigs, dogs are not naturally interested in truffles and
can be trained to indicate with their paw the place where they
scent a truffle. Although no race of dog instinctively looks for
truffles, hunting dogs are not used as they are more inclined
to sense game than truffles.
On the other hand, particular fly species (genus Suillia)
which lay eggs above truffles to provide food for their larvae,
are often hovering above the place where a truffle is hidden.
By lying on the ground and watching for these tiny insects,
truffles can be localized.
Claus, Hoppen & Karg (1981) demonstrated the presence of
a steroidal pheromone with a musk smell in black truffles at
40-60 ng g-'. The pig's capacity to detect underground
truffles was reported as due to it although neither its
selective detection, nor its contribution to the overall aroma
of black truffles was demonstrated. In the case of dogs, Pacioni
(1986) explained this capacity by the specific detection of one
of the aroma constituents without being able to specify which
one it is. Concerning flies, no studies have been carried out,
but Pujol (1985) reported that they themselves released a
highly sulphurous note.
We previously identified the volatile compounds respon-
sible for the unusual aroma of the black truffle. For this
purpose, we used a dynamic headspace analysis method.
Experiments were carried out both with fresh entire truffles
and by atmospheric capture of stored truffle aroma (Talou,
Delmas & Gaset, 1987, 1989a, b) and with canned truffles
(Talou, Delmas & Gaset, 1988a). Recently, Hanssen & Kiihne
(1988) using steam distillation of different canned truffle
products have confirmed these results. Industrial applications
of our study have led to the formulation of the first Nature
- Identical Black Truffle flavouring (a perfumed oil), consisting
of a reconstitution of the aroma based on the dynamic
headspace analysis (Talou et al., 1986) and the design of an
electronic detector for black truffle searching (Talou et al.,
1988b). Since buried samples of the flavouring were detected
by our apparatus with the same success as buried truffles, we
decided to study the influence of the volatile compounds
emitted naturally from entire black truffles on the detection
process of both pigs and trained truffle dogs.
Seven series of experiments were carried out during the
truffle season (Feb.-Mar. 1989). Experiments consisted of
burying 20-25 g entire ripe truffles (Pebeyre Ltd, France), 2 ml
of a solution of 5 mg of 3a-hydroxy-5a androst-16-ene I-'
(Sigma, U.S.A.) in sunflower oil and 2 ml of our flavouring
(Trufarome, France), 5 cm underground in different places of a
sterile burnt area of a truffle oak. Standards were set up with
2 ml of sunflower oil. Four different dogs including the
champion of the last county truffle contest, and one pig
efficient in truffle search were used for this study during which
about 200 samples were buried.
Both buried truffles and flavouring samples were suc-
cessfully localized by all animals. These reproducible results
demonstrated the predominant role of the volatile fraction of
truffles in the animal detection process in contrast with the
Short Communications
pheromone solutions which remained undetected in spite of
being at a concentration ten times higher than in fresh truffles.
In order to determine which compound was selectively
detected, solutions were prepared with the different odorous
components of the flavouring, i.e. acetaldehyde, dimethyl
sulphide, 2-methylpropanal, acetone, 2-butanone, 2-
methylbutanal, 2-methylpropanol, 2-methylbutanol and etha-
nol (pure chemical compounds, Janssen, Belgium). Sunflower
oil was used as solvent. The concentrations used (300 ml I-')
were higher than the human detection odour threshold
concentrations (Ruth, 1986). 2 ml of these solutions were
buried in a light truffle field soil. During the Feb.-Mar. 1989
period, three series of experiments were carried out (about
150 samples buried).
Only dimethyl sulphide samples were localized by both
dogs and pig with good reproducibility. The same results
were obtained by burying 2 ml of pure chemical compounds
without any solvent.
These promising results allow us to report for the first time
that the detection of black truffles by animals is certainly due
to the selective detection of dimethyl sulphide. This is
confirmed by tests carried out using a mixture of all the other
compounds which was not detected by animals.
In order to establish a reliable relationship between the
volatiles of the black truffle and its detection by animals, as
well as allowing a thorough study of the truffle dog scent
process, both tests with a representative number of trained
truffle dogs and with a range of odorous and sulphurous
compounds are planned for the next season. Indeed, such a
computerized statistical analysis requires many results from a
large number of dogs. Moreover, these results must be
obtained during the truffle production season because truffle
dogs appear not to be conditioned enough outside the season
and the results obtained could be controversial.
These preliminary results demonstrate the predominant
contribution of dimethyl sulphide to the overall aroma of
black truffles, previously reported by a panel of judges
carrying out a sensory analysis and showed our flavouring as
a good means for the training of truffle dogs.
(Received for publication 14 March 1989 and in revised form 24 June 1989)
View publication stats
278
The authors are grateful to Mrs Tedesco and Mr Combarieu,
Sourzat and Boisset for their contribution to this work. This
study is a part of a research program sponsored by Pebeyre
Ltd (Cahors, France).
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