Luo Xin, Shen Ying
Guizhou Academy of Testing and Analysis, Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China.
Front Microbiol. 2025 Mar 5;16:1531005. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1531005. eCollection 2025.
Ham, a widely consumed and culturally significant food, undergoes fermentation and aging processes that contribute to its distinctive flavor and texture. These processes are influenced by a complex interplay of microbial communities, which vary by the production region. Understanding these microbial dynamics can provide insights into flavor development and quality improvements in ham. In this study, the microbial communities found in ham produced in three distinct regions were compared, revealing that bacteria have a more dominant role in shaping the overall microbiota than fungi. Notably, each type of ham exhibited a unique microbial profile, although those from similar regions shared more similar profiles. Specific bacterial biomarkers were identified for each regional ham: and in Serrano prosciutto, , , , and in Jinhua prosciutto, and , , and in Xuanwei prosciutto. The microbial network analysis identified closer associations between microorganisms in the domestically produced Chinese hams than in the Spanish ham, suggesting limited foreign microbial invasions that contributed to a richer, more stable flavor. These findings offer new insights into how microbial interactions shape the development of flavor and quality in ham and clarify future strategies for improving the production process by leveraging microbial communities.
火腿是一种广泛食用且具有重要文化意义的食物，它要经过发酵和陈化过程，这些过程赋予了火腿独特的风味和口感。这些过程受到微生物群落复杂相互作用的影响，而微生物群落因生产地区而异。了解这些微生物动态可以为火腿的风味发展和品质提升提供见解。在本研究中，对三个不同地区生产的火腿中发现的微生物群落进行了比较，结果表明细菌在塑造整体微生物群方面比真菌发挥着更主要的作用。值得注意的是，每种火腿都呈现出独特的微生物特征，尽管来自相似地区的火腿具有更相似的特征。已为每个地区的火腿鉴定出特定的细菌生物标志物：在西班牙火腿中为[具体名称1]和[具体名称2]，在金华火腿中为[具体名称3]、[具体名称4]、[具体名称5]和[具体名称6]，在宣威火腿中为[具体名称7]、[具体名称8]和[具体名称9]。微生物网络分析表明，国产中国火腿中的微生物之间的关联比西班牙火腿中的更紧密，这表明有限的外来微生物入侵有助于形成更浓郁、更稳定的风味。这些发现为微生物相互作用如何影响火腿的风味和品质发展提供了新的见解，并阐明了未来利用微生物群落改进生产过程的策略。
