The influence of different lactic acid bacteria on sourdough flavor and a deep insight into sourdough fermentation through RNA sequencing.

Ten lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains of different species isolated from Chinese traditional sourdough were investigated on their volatile compounds in sourdough fermentation. Sourdoughs fermented with different LAB species were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) based on their volatiles. Furthermore, the in situ gene expressions of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis during sourdough fermentation were investigated by using RNA sequencing for the first time. PCA could discriminate between the sourdoughs fermented by homofermentative and heterofermentative LAB, the former containing more aldehydes and ketones with more than 6 carbon atoms, while the latter featuring ethanol and esters. The Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented sourdough was characterized by high C4-C6 volatiles content, while L. sanfranciscensis showed a unique volatile profile without explicit explanatory compounds. The RNA sequencing suggested that, compared to the sourdough fermented for 6 h, L. sanfranciscensis enhanced carbohydrate metabolism and self-protection activities, but decreased cell proliferation in sourdough at 12 h.