Hua Shengkai, Wei Xiang, Wang Leyi, Wang Yuqin, Cheng Siyuan, Bao Chunjia, Zeng Xiaorui, Chen Xinnuo, Yu Yongjian, Tan Jinhao
School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
Int J Food Microbiol. 2025 Nov 2;442:111357. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111357. Epub 2025 Jul 22.
Non-Saccharomyces yeasts play a significant role in enhancing the aroma profiles of fermented foods. However, their specific contributions to vinegar production remain poorly characterized. This study simulated the solid-state fermentation process of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV) to investigate whether artificial addition of non-Saccharomyces yeasts could improve flavor compounds in vinegar and explore the underlying mechanisms. Three non-Saccharomyces yeast strains were isolated from ZAV vinegar Pei. The results showed that Pichia kudriavzevii YK116 exhibited superior tolerance to ethanol, acetic acid, and high temperature stresses prevalent in acetic acid fermentation (AAF). High-throughput sequencing revealed that the addition of P. kudriavzevii YK116 primarily modulated the fungal community structure while maintaining bacterial community stability. Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) analysis showed that, compared to the control group, the experimental group inoculated with P. kudriavzevii YK116 exhibited significantly enhanced production of flavor compounds, particularly ethyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate. By the end of fermentation, the contents of these compounds increased by 23.17 %, 74.06 %, and 9.62 %, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated stronger associations of fungi, especially Pichia and Hannaella, with ester formation than bacterial communities, while Acetobacter showed the highest correlation with acid production. Overall, inoculation with P. kudriavzevii YK116 modulates flavor compounds primarily through altering fungal community structure during vinegar fermentation. This study provides the first elucidation of the mechanism by which non-Saccharomyces yeasts enhance flavor compounds (particularly esters) through modulating microbial community structure during solid-state vinegar fermentation.
非酿酒酵母在提升发酵食品的香气特征方面发挥着重要作用。然而，它们对醋生产的具体贡献仍未得到充分表征。本研究模拟镇江香醋（ZAV）的固态发酵过程，以研究人工添加非酿酒酵母是否能改善醋中的风味化合物，并探索其潜在机制。从ZAV醋醅中分离出三株非酿酒酵母菌株。结果表明，库德里亚夫齐毕赤酵母YK116对乙酸发酵（AAF）中普遍存在的乙醇、乙酸和高温胁迫表现出较强的耐受性。高通量测序显示，添加库德里亚夫齐毕赤酵母YK116主要调节真菌群落结构，同时保持细菌群落稳定性。顶空固相微萃取气相色谱 - 质谱联用（HS-SPME-GC-MS）分析表明，与对照组相比，接种库德里亚夫齐毕赤酵母YK116的实验组风味化合物产量显著提高，尤其是乙酸乙酯、苯乙酸乙酯和异戊酸乙酯。发酵结束时，这些化合物的含量分别增加了23.17% 、74.06% 和9.62%。相关性分析表明，真菌，尤其是毕赤酵母属和汉逊酵母属，与酯形成的关联比细菌群落更强，而醋酸杆菌与酸产生的相关性最高。总体而言，接种库德里亚夫齐毕赤酵母YK116主要通过在醋发酵过程中改变真菌群落结构来调节风味化合物。本研究首次阐明了非酿酒酵母在固态醋发酵过程中通过调节微生物群落结构来增强风味化合物（特别是酯类）的机制。
