Abstract: Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) was used to study the bacterial community composition in stinky mandarin fish during fermentation. Stinky mandarin fish was fermented for 8 days and sampled every two days for DNA extraction. The V6–V8 region of bacterial 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR and analyzed by DGGE. The results of DGGE showed that Enterococcus sp., Shewanella putrefaciens, Macrococcus caseolyticus and Exiguobacterium acetylicum gradually became dominant strains during the fermentation process, especially in the later stage of fermentation. The comparative analysis of DGGE fingerprints showed that the bacterial community of stinky mandarin fish was similar in later stage of fermentation, and became stable. These findings may provide helpful guidance for screening an industrial fermentation starter, controlling the growth of spoilage organisms and foodborne pathogens and consequently improving the quality and safety of stinky mandarin fish.

Key words: stinky mandarin fish, PCR-DGGE, fermentation, bacterial community