Impact of seven conservation methods on the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, and chemical antioxidant capacity of Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea from Southeastern Tunisia
- 1Laboratoire dʼAridoculture et Cultures Oasiennes, Institut des Régions Arides de Médenine , ,
- 2Département de Génie Biologique, Institut Supérieur de Biologie Appliquée de Médenine , ,
- 3Laboratoire Central, Institut des Régions Arides de Medenine , ,
Abstract
Introduction: Desert truffles ( Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea ) are edible fungi valued for their nutritional and nutraceutical properties. However, the effects of post-harvest preservation on their bioactive composition and health-related quality remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the influence of seven conservation methods on the nutritional and functional properties of both species collected from the arid regions of southeastern Tunisia.
Methods: Seven preservation techniques (sun drying, oven drying, deep freezing, lyophilization, chips processing, marination, and olive‐oil preservation) were assessed. Nutritional composition, mineral content, vitamins, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity were determined using standard analytical methods. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA to evaluate the effects of preservation method, species, and their interaction.
Results: Preservation method was the main source of variation, explaining up to 99.06% of protein, 95.65% of carbohydrate, 94.88% of antioxidant activity, 88.19% of potassium, and 87.07% of total phenolic variability (all P < 0.0001), whereas species effects were comparatively minor. Oven drying and lyophilization best preserved protein content (≈27–28%) and antioxidant activity (87–89% radical scavenging activity). Lyophilization and marination retained the highest mineral concentrations, while lyophilization also preserved the greatest riboflavin (2.69–3.94 ppm) and lycopene (0.15–0.16 ppm) contents. Oven drying produced the highest phenolic acid levels, whereas chips processing consistently reduced proteins, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds.
Discussion: Preservation method is the principal determinant of the nutritional and nutraceutical quality of desert truffles. Oven drying and lyophilization were the most effective strategies for maintaining health‐promoting compounds, supporting their application as optimal post‐harvest technologies to maximize the functional food value and commercial potential of T. boudieri and T. nivea .
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BibTeX
@article{ghanney2026impact,
title = {{Impact of seven conservation methods on the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, and chemical antioxidant capacity of Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea from Southeastern Tunisia}},
author = {Nadia Ghanney and Leila Ben Yahia and Haifa Hlel and Belgacem Lachiheb and Talel Bouhamda and Nahed Fakhfakh and Kamel Nagaz},
journal = {Frontiers in pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1816928},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13672605},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Impact of seven conservation methods on the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, and chemical antioxidant capacity of Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea from Southeastern Tunisia
AU - Nadia Ghanney
AU - Leila Ben Yahia
AU - Haifa Hlel
AU - Belgacem Lachiheb
AU - Talel Bouhamda
AU - Nahed Fakhfakh
AU - Kamel Nagaz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Frontiers in pharmacology
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1816928
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13672605
AB - Introduction: Desert truffles ( Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea ) are edible fungi valued for their nutritional and nutraceutical properties. However, the effects of post-harvest preservation on their bioactive composition and health-related quality remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the influence of seven conservation methods on the nutritional and functional properties of both species collected from the arid regions of southeastern Tunisia. Methods: Seven preservation techniques (sun drying, oven drying, deep freezing, lyophilization, chips processing, marination, and olive‐oil preservation) were assessed. Nutritional composition, mineral content, vitamins, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity were determined using standard analytical methods. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA to evaluate the effects of preservation method, species, and their interaction. Results: Preservation method was the main source of variation, explaining up to 99.06% of protein, 95.65% of carbohydrate, 94.88% of antioxidant activity, 88.19% of potassium, and 87.07% of total phenolic variability (all P < 0.0001), whereas species effects were comparatively minor. Oven drying and lyophilization best preserved protein content (≈27–28%) and antioxidant activity (87–89% radical scavenging activity). Lyophilization and marination retained the highest mineral concentrations, while lyophilization also preserved the greatest riboflavin (2.69–3.94 ppm) and lycopene (0.15–0.16 ppm) contents. Oven drying produced the highest phenolic acid levels, whereas chips processing consistently reduced proteins, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. Discussion: Preservation method is the principal determinant of the nutritional and nutraceutical quality of desert truffles. Oven drying and lyophilization were the most effective strategies for maintaining health‐promoting compounds, supporting their application as optimal post‐harvest technologies to maximize the functional food value and commercial potential of T. boudieri and T. nivea .
SN - 1663-9812
ER -