Abstract:

The fermentation of fruit vinegar from persimmon peel, a byproduct of persimmon processing using
Gluconobacter oxydans, Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc sp. was studied in this work. Fermentation experiments
were carried out using single and mixed cultures. The optimal combination for mixed culture fermentation was determined
based on fermentation period and product quality. The aroma components were identified by head-space solid phase
micro-extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and the main organic acids
were quantified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the best vinegar products. The results
showed that a 1:1 (V/V) mixture of Gluconobacter oxydans and Lactobacillus plantarum gave the best product quality. The
optimal vinegar fermentation time was 6 days. Under these optimized conditions, the sensory evaluation score was 94.9
points, and 51 aroma components, mainly alcohols, esters, with lactic acid and acetic acid being the predominant organic
acids, were identified in the product. Moreover, the product had a strong persimmon flavor and a strong vinegar fragrance
with a good balance between them and it tasted good.

Key words: persimmon peel, mixed culture fermentation, fruit vinegar, head-space solid phase micro-extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)