Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of inoculated fermentation with different Aspergillus strains on the umami taste of Liuyang Douchi, the differences in the umami taste and protein degradation of Liuyang Douchi fermented naturally (NF) or by four dominant Aspergillus flavus strains isolated from Douchi (A. flavus 7214, A. flavus 7622, A. flavus 6112, and A. flavus 5322) alone and their mixture in an equal proportion (M4) were compared. The results showed that the major protease produced by each of the four strains was serine proteases, and A. flavus 5322 had the strongest protease activity, with significantly higher activity of acidic protease than the other three strains. The contents of amino acid nitrogen and water-soluble protein in Aspergillus fermented Douchi were higher than those in NF Douchi after the end of pile-fermentation stage. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed that the degradation trends of six proteins in Douchi were consistent, all of which exhibited rapid degradation during the pile-fermentation process. Additionally, the results of sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis showed that Douchi fermented by A. flavus 5322 showed the strongest umami taste, which significantly increased when compared with NF. Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS) combined with correlation and peptidomics analysis, a total of 43 potential umami peptides were identified. The total peak area of potential umami peptides in Douchi fermented by A. flavus 6112 was the highest, followed by A. flavus 5322 with little difference, significantly greater than that in NF Douchi. In summary, inoculated fermentation, especially with A. flavus 5322, could promote protein degradation and the release of potential umami peptides, thereby enhancing the umami taste of Liuyang Douchi. This study will provide theoretical guidance for improving the umami taste of Liuyang Douchi and development of industrial production strains.

Key words: Aspergillus; inoculated fermentation; Liuyang Douchi; protein degradation; umami peptides