Study of the Phase Characteristics of Sichuan Bran Vinegar Fermentation Based on Flavor Compounds and Core Bacteria

• Published in: Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists Vol. 79; no. 2; pp. 201 - 211
• Main Authors: Zhu, Min, Chen, Zhuo, Luo, Hui-Bo, Mao, Xiang, Yang, Ying, Tong, Wen-Hua, Huang, Dan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 01.04.2021
• Subjects: Characteristic flavor compounds; core bacteria; phased controllable fermentation; Sichuan bran vinegar
• ISSN: 0361-0470; 1943-7854
• DOI: 10.1080/03610470.2020.1794738

A natural fermentation with multispecies is an important technique to produce traditional vinegars. However, the flavor-producing core bacteria closely related to each phase are still poorly understood. The phase characteristics of Sichuan bran vinegar fermentation were investigated in this study. The dynamic changes of physicochemical factors, flavor substances, and bacterial communities in the fermentation process of Sichuan bran vinegar were analyzed. Via a partial least squares regression analysis (PLSR) model and network analysis, the phases of solid-state fermentation were defined, and the core species and corresponding flavor compounds closely related to each fermentation phase were noted. To find the physicochemical factors that have a large influence on the growth of core bacteria at each phase, the phased effects of different factors on the key flavor compounds and bacteria were analyzed. The results showed that temperature was the main influencing factor, promoting the metabolism profile of nonvolatile flavor-producing bacteria in the fourth phase, such as Pseudomonas and Helicobacter. This study provides theoretical support for the establishment of a controllable fermentation system.