Can the fatty acids profile of Tuber aestivum - T. uncinatum species complex have chemotaxonomic value?

Fatty acid (FA) profiles are considered as chemotaxonomic markers to define groups of various\udtaxonomic ranks in bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. Tuber aestivum is one of the most common\udEuropean truffles that has environmental and economic values. While genetic studies\udsuggest that T. aestivum Vittad. and T. uncinatum Chatin are synonymous, there is still\uddebate over whether this is a species complex. In this work, we evaluate the differences in\udthe total and individual FAs content of T. aestivum and T. uncinatum morphotypes, and T.\udmelanosporum n-hexane extracts.\udThe higher amounts of total linoleic acid and total oleic acid are found in T. uncinatum and characterize\udit from the T. aestivum. The composition of FA profiles of T. uncinatum-T. aestivum\udwere distinguished by the presence of free palmitoleic acid (a chemotaxonomic marker) in T.\uduncinatum and absent in T. aestivum. Cluster analysis indicated that there were two groups for\udthe FA profiles of the Tuber spp. hexanic extract: T. aestivum extract and T. uncinatum and T.\udmelanosporum extracts.\udOur results indicate that T. aestivum and T. uncinatum have to be considered as two different\udtaxa within the T. aestivum species complex