Abstract: Based on our previous study on metagenomic analysis of microbial community structure, the structure and diversity of culturable mold communities in Daqu and environmental samples from 7 different fermentation rounds in the main Maotai-flavored liquor-brewing areas of Maotai town, Guizhou were investigated by traditional culture method and 18S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 614 and 486 strains of mold were isolated from the Daqu and environmental samples, respectively and out of these, 256 strains were selected for further analysis by morphological features and 18S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Finally, 57 mold species belonging to 27 genera were identified from the environmental samples. In the Daqu samples, 31 mold species in 15 genera were identified. Lichtheimia, Mucor, Aspergillus, Monascus, Rhizomucor, Paecilomyces, and Schizophyllum were the dominant molds in the brewing environment, while Lichtheimia, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Phanerochaete, and Thermoascus were the dominant molds in Daqu. This study confirmed the significance of molds in the brewing environment and Daqu for the fermentation of Maotai-flavored liquor, and highlighted that high-temperature Daqu and stacking fermentation are both indispensable for the production of Maotai-flavored liquor.

Key words: Maotai-flavored liquor; main brewing areas; culturable molds; microbial community structure and diversity