Exploring microbial succession and diversity during solid-state fermentation of Tianjin duliu mature vinegar

Environmental Factors Affecting Microbiota Dynamics during Traditional Solid-state Fermentation of Chinese Daqu Starter

In this study, we investigated the microbiota dynamics during two industrial-scale traditional solid-state fermentation (SSF) processes of Daqu starters. Similar evolution profiles of environmental parameters, enzymatic activities, microbial amounts, and communities were observed during the medium temperature SSF (MTSSF) and low temperature SSF (LTSSF) processes. Orders of Rickettsiales and Streptophyta only dominated the initial 2 days, and Eurotiales only predominated from days 10 to 24, however, phylotypes of Enterobacteriales, Lactobacillales, Bacillales, Saccharomycetales, and Mucorales both prevailed throughout the MTSSF and LTSSF processes. Nevertheless, the pH in MTSSF process on day 5 were 5.28, while in LTSSF process (4.87) significantly lower (P < 0.05). The glucoamylase activities in MTSSF process dropped from 902.71 to 394.33 mg glucose g(-1) h(-1) on days 5 to 24, while significantly lower (P < 0.05) in LTSSF process and decreased from 512.25 to 268.69 mg glucose g(-1) h(-1). The relative abundance of Enterobacteriales and Lactobacillales in MTSSF process constituted from 10.30 to 71.73% and 2.34 to 16.68%, while in LTSSF process ranged from 3.16 to 41.06% and 8.43 to 57.39%, respectively. The relative abundance of Eurotiales in MTSSF process on days 10 to 24 decreased from 36.10 to 28.63%, while obviously higher in LTSSF process and increased from 52.00 to 72.97%. Furthermore, lower bacterial richness but higher fungal richness were displayed, markedly differences in bacterial communities but highly similarities in fungal communities were exhibited, during MTSSF process comparatively to the LTSSF process. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed microbial structure transition happened at thermophilic stages under environmental stress of moisture, pH, acidity, and pile temperature. These profound understanding might help to effectively control the traditional Daqu SSF process by adjusting relevant environmental parameters.

Exploring flavour-producing core microbiota in multispecies solid-state fermentation of traditional Chinese vinegar

Multispecies solid-state fermentation (MSSF), a natural fermentation process driven by reproducible microbiota, is an important technique to produce traditional fermented foods. Flavours, skeleton of fermented foods, was mostly produced by microbiota in food ecosystem. However, the association between microbiota and flavours and flavour-producing core microbiota are still poorly understood. Here, acetic acid fermentation (AAF) of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar was taken as a typical case of MSSF. The structural and functional dynamics of microbiota during AAF process was determined by metagenomics and favour analyses. The dominant bacteria and fungi were identified as Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Aspergillus, and Alternaria, respectively. Total 88 flavours including 2 sugars, 9 organic acids, 18 amino acids, and 59 volatile flavours were detected during AAF process. O2PLS-based correlation analysis between microbiota succession and flavours dynamics showed bacteria made more contribution to flavour formation than fungi. Seven genera including Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Enhydrobacter, Lactococcus, Gluconacetobacer, Bacillus and Staphylococcus were determined as functional core microbiota for production of flavours in Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar, based on their dominance and functionality in microbial community. This study provides a perspective for bridging the gap between the phenotype and genotype of ecological system, and advances our understanding of MSSF mechanisms in Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar.

Analysis of microbial community variation during the mixed culture fermentation of agricultural peel wastes to produce lactic acid

Mixed cultures fermentation can be used to convert organic wastes into various chemicals and fuels. This study examined the fermentation performance of four batch reactors fed with different agricultural (orange, banana, and potato (mechanical and steam)) peel wastes using mixed cultures, and monitored the interval variation of reactor microbial communities with 16S rRNA genes using Illumina sequencing. All four reactors produced similar chemical profile with lactic acid (LA) as dominant compound. Acetic acid and ethanol were also observed with small fractions. The Illumina sequencing results revealed the diversity of microbial community decreased during fermentation and a community of largely lactic acid producing bacteria dominated by species of Lactobacillus developed.

Bacterial dynamics and metabolite changes in solid-state acetic acid fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar

Solid-state acetic acid fermentation (AAF), a natural or semi-controlled fermentation process driven by reproducible microbial communities, is an important technique to produce traditional Chinese cereal vinegars. Highly complex microbial communities and metabolites are involved in traditional Chinese solid-state AAF, but the association between microbiota and metabolites during this process are still poorly understood. In this study, we performed amplicon 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and metabolite analysis to trace the bacterial dynamics and metabolite changes under AAF process. A succession of bacterial assemblages was observed during the AAF process. Lactobacillales dominated all the stages. However, Acetobacter species in Rhodospirillales were considerably accelerated during AAF until the end of fermentation. Quantitative PCR results indicated that the biomass of total bacteria showed a "system microbe self-domestication" process in the first 3 days, and then peaked at the seventh day before gradually decreasing until the end of AAF. Moreover, a total of 88 metabolites, including 8 organic acids, 16 free amino acids, and 66 aroma compounds were detected during AAF. Principal component analysis and cluster analyses revealed the high correlation between the dynamics of bacterial community and metabolites.

Batch-to-batch uniformity of bacterial community succession and flavor formation in the fermentation of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar

Solid-state fermentation of traditional Chinese vinegar is a mixed-culture refreshment process that proceeds for many centuries without spoilage. Here, we investigated bacterial community succession and flavor formation in three batches of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar using pyrosequencing and metabolomics approaches. Temporal patterns of bacterial succession in the Pei (solid-state vinegar culture) showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) among three batches of fermentation. In all the batches investigated, the average number of community operational taxonomic units (OTUs) decreased dramatically from 119 ± 11 on day 1 to 48 ± 16 on day 3, and then maintained in the range of 61 ± 9 from day 5 to the end of fermentation. We confirmed that, within a batch of fermentation process, the patterns of bacterial diversity between the starter (took from the last batch of vinegar culture on day 7) and the Pei on day 7 were similar (90%). The relative abundance dynamics of two dominant members, Lactobacillus and Acetobacter, showed high correlation (coefficient as 0.90 and 0.98 respectively) among different batches. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed dynamics of 16 main flavor metabolites were stable among different batches. The findings validate the batch-to-batch uniformity of bacterial community succession and flavor formation accounts for the quality of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar. Based on our understanding, this is the first study helps to explain the rationality of age-old artistry from a scientific perspective.

Comparative analysis of microbial community of novel lactic acid fermentation inoculated with different undefined mixed cultures

Three undefined mixed cultures (activated sludge) from different municipal wastewater treatment plants were used as seeds in a novel lactic acid fermentation process fed with potato peel waste (PPW). Anaerobic sequencing batch fermenters were run under identical conditions to produce predominantly lactic acid. Illumina sequencing was used to examine the 16S rRNA genes of bacteria in the three seeds and fermenters. Results showed that the structure of microbial communities of three seeds were different. All three fermentation products had unique community structures that were dominated (>96%) by species of the genus Lactobacillus, while members of this genus constituted <0.1% in seeds. The species of Lactobacillus sp. differed among the three fermentations. Results of this study suggest the structure of microbial communities in lactic acid fermentation of PPW with undefined mixed cultures were robust and resilient, which provided engineering prospects for the microbial utilization of carbohydrate wastes to produce lactic acid.

Dynamics and diversity of microbial community succession in traditional fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar

The traditional fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV), a well-known traditional Chinese vinegar, generally involves the preparation of starter daqu, starch saccharification, alcoholic fermentation (AF) and acetic acid fermentation (AAF). Dynamics and diversity of microbial community succession in daqu and other fermentation stages were investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Results showed that eight bacterial genera and four fungal genera were found in daqu. However, Staphylococcus, Saccharopolyspora, Bacillus, Oceanobacillus, Enterobacter, Streptomyces, Eurotium, Monascus and Pichia in daqu were eradicated during AF. Four bacterial genera and three fungal genera were found in this stage. Weissella, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Saccharomyces, and Saccharomycopsis were the dominant microorganisms in the late stage of AF. During AAF, four bacterial genera and four fungal genera were found. Weissella, Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Escherichia, and Cladosporium gradually disappeared; the dominant microorganisms were Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Saccharomycopsis, and Alternaria in the late stage of AAF. Alpha diversity metrics showed that fungal diversity in daqu was greater than that in AF and AAF. By contrast, bacterial diversity decreased from daqu to AF and increased in the first three days of AAF and then decreased. Hence, these results could help understand dynamics of microbial community succession in continuous fermentation of traditional Chinese vinegars.