Study on the Succession of Microbial Communities and Changes in Flavor Compounds During the Production Process of High-Temperature Sauce-Flavor Daqu

Abstract

Abstract: Baijiu is a traditional fermented beverage in China, and the sauce-flavored baijiu is highly favored by consumers for its unique taste. As an important saccharifying and fermenting agent in the production process of sauce-flavored liquor, high-temperature daqu not only provides microbial resources, enzyme systems, and raw materials for the brewing process but also is irreplaceable in large quantities. The quality of daqu is crucial for the fermentation process and the formation of flavor substances in the base liquor. This study investigated the changes in microbial community structure and flavor substances before and after the turning over operation during the preparation process of high-temperature daqu. The results showed that during the key stage of daqu production—the turning over operation—the composition and abundance of the microbial community undergo significant dynamic changes. The genera Thermoascus and Thermomyces in fungi and Virgibacillus, Oceanobacillus, Saccharopolyspora, and Kroppenstedtia in bacteria all increased in abundance during the two turning processes. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified 49 volatile compounds, including 12 esters, 9 pyrazines, and 6 alcohols, 6 aldehydes, 5 ketones, 3 phenols, 2 ethers, 2 furans, 1 alkene, 1 acid, and 2 other substances, with increased levels of ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, 2-phenylethanol, and tetramethylpyrazine after turning over. In addition, correlation analysis revealed potential connections between microbial communities and flavor substances, with Virgibacillus, Oceanobacillus, Saccharopolyspora, Kroppenstedtia, Thermoascus, and Thermomyces showing positive correlations with ester compounds, and Bacillus and Pichia showing positive correlations with tetramethylpyrazine. This study was the first to explore the impact of the turning over operation fermentation process on the microbial community and the formation of flavor substances during the preparation of sauce-flavored high-temperature daqu, providing basic data for exploring the root causes of quality differences in the biological characteristics of sauce-flavored high-temperature daqu and the rules affecting the formation of flavor substances in sauce liquor brewing. It offered important references for formulating effective process strategies to improve the quality stability of high-temperature daqu production.

Key words: Sauce-flavor Daqu, Microbial community, Turning over, Volatile flavor substances, Correlation analysis

CLC Number:

TS261.11

weiwei LI Bao-Guo Sun. Study on the Succession of Microbial Communities and Changes in Flavor Compounds During the Production Process of High-Temperature Sauce-Flavor Daqu[J]. FOOD SCIENCE.

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