Abstract
Truffle, the hypogeous, ascomycetous macrofungus, has been recognized as a delicacy for centuries, and it is gaining elevated status in the culinary domain. The chemical composition and biological activities of aqueous extract and ground material of two desert Tunisian
Tirmania nivea
and
Terfezia boudieri
were studied for the first time. Using three assays antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract and ground material of the two truffles were investigated. Indeed, the aqueous extract and ground material of
Terfezia boudieri
showed the highest capacity for the DPPH scavenging test (IC
50
= 0.18 mg/mL) and with regard to the chelating power of iron (IC
50
= 0.22 mg/mL). At the same time, the highest capacity for iron reduction was recorded in the crude material of
Tirmania nivea
. Besides, the total phenolic, flavonoid, flavanol, tannin, and proanthocyanidin contents of both truffles extracts were determined. The ground material showed the best antibacterial activity for two ascomycetes against seven strains of bacteria. HPLC analysis of aqueous extracts showed that the predominant phenolic compounds in
T. boudieri
and
T. nivea
were gallic acid (33.25%) and myricetin (52.91%). Therefore, these truffles are a source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents and could be used as a potential health food.