Study on the correlation between microbial community succession and main flavor substances in the mashes of Tanggou liquor.

This study employed integrated omics to investigate microbial dynamics and flavor development in Tanggou wine fermentation. High-throughput sequencing identified 182 bacterial and 82 fungal OTUs, with late-stage DLD samples exhibiting peak diversity, including 49 unique bacteria and 14 fungi. dominated bacterial communities at 99.14-99.85%, creating acidic conditions that enhanced lactic acid synthesis and ester stability. prevailed in fungal communities at 73.28-97.72%, mediating β-glucosidase-driven terpene liberation. Metabolomics revealed a 12.7-fold increase in tricarboxylic acids during DLD phase, while GC-IMS detected 77 volatiles dominated by esters, notably ethylhexanoate and phenylethanol. Four strong-flavor Baijiu signature esters peaked in DLD base liquor through stage-specific accumulation. Microbial network analysis demonstrated - synergy in ethyl lactate production, while thermophilic actinomycetes modulated ethyl hexanoate/pyrazine ratios via lipase activity. These findings highlight microbial consortium engineering as an effective strategy for flavor optimization in traditional liquor manufacturing.