Novel insight into the formation mechanism of volatile flavor in Chinese fish sauce (Yu-lu) based on molecular sensory and metagenomics analyses

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 323; p. 126839
• Main Authors: Wang, Yueqi, Li, Chunsheng, Zhao, Yongqiang, Li, Laihao, Yang, Xianqing, Wu, Yanyan, Chen, Shengjun, Cen, Jianwei, Yang, Shaoling, Yang, Daqiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Fermentation; Fish sauce; Flavor formation; Microorganism; Volatile compound; Volatile compound; Fish sauce; Microorganism; Fermentation; Flavor formation
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126839

•Twelve volatile compounds were identified as key flavor components in fish sauce.•Correlations of volatile compounds and microbiota were explored by O2PLS analysis.•Metabolism of five key microbial genera lead to the flavor formation of fish sauce.•Microbial metabolic network reveals flavor formation of fish sauce. Complex microbial metabolism is the basis for flavor formation in traditional fish sauce. To guide the targeted regulation of production quality, we used molecular sensory and metagenomics analyses to determine dynamic changes in volatile flavor compounds and microbial communities of fish sauce as fermentation progressed. In total, 56 volatile compounds were identified; of these, 3-methylthiopropanal had the highest average odor activity value. Twelve volatile compounds, key for fish sauce flavor development, were identified. Bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares analysis was applied to investigate the correlation between microorganisms and flavor substances. Five microbial genera including Halanaerobium, Halomonas, Tetragenococcus, Halococcus and Candidatus Frackibacter constituted the core microbial flora responsible for flavor formation. The microbial metabolic pathways degraded raw materials into primary metabolites, such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids. This study provides novel insights into the flavor formation mechanism of traditional fish sauce fermentation.