关键词: 山西老陈醋, 非靶向代谢组学, 功能微生物, 代谢网络模型

Abstract: Shanxi Aged Vinegar (SAV), a quintessential traditional fermented food, is not only widely popular for its unique flavor but also embodies the cultural concept of medicine-food homology due to its potential health benefits. This study focused on vinegar fermentation substrate samples during the acetic acid fermentation stage. By integrating untargeted metabolomics and genomics approaches, we systematically elucidated the accumulation patterns of non-volatile beneficial compounds and their potential microbial origins. Metabolomic analysis identified a total of 2088 compounds, among which 1247 were significantly differential compounds. These encompassed various flavor precursors and bioactive components with medicinal value, exhibiting dynamic accumulation patterns throughout the fermentation process. Notably, the fermentation substrate on day 9 was enriched with 49 functional compounds with bioactivities and 8 key flavor compounds. Microbial correlation analysis further revealed that six microbial species – Acetilactobacillus jinshanensis, Acetobacter pomorum, Acetobacter sicerae, Acetobacter thailandicus, Komagataeibacter oboediens, and Kozakia baliensis – showed significant positive correlations (|r| ≥ 0.7, p < 0.05) with the majority of medicinal and flavor metabolites enriched on day 9. Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs) constructed from metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of these core strains indicated that K. oboediens possesses complete carbon-nitrogen skeleton metabolism and flavor precursor synthesis capabilities. Meanwhile, A. jinshanensis contributes urea cycle and cyanogenic glycoside degradation abilities, collectively forming the molecular basis for compounds accumulation. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the targeted design of synthetic microbial communities and the optimization of precision fermentation processes.

Key words: Shanxi Aged Vinegar, Untargeted Metabolomics, Functional Microorganisms, Genome-scale Metabolic Models