Amino acid and microbial community dynamics during the fermentation of Hong Qu glutinous rice wine

Hong Qu glutinous rice wine (HQGRW) is typically very bitter after fermentation due to the presence of bitter amino acids (BAA). The amino acids are considered to primarily derive from the hydrolysis of protein from the raw material by microbial populations during fermentation, and temperature also has an important effect on bitter tastes. Here, the dynamics of fungal and bacterial communities during the traditional fermentation of HQGRW were investigated using high-throughput sequencing and RNA-based rRNA gene sequencing. Both principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) revealed significant differences between the fungal and bacterial communities during fermentation at 20 °C and those performed at 25 °C and 30 °C. The growth of Saccharomyces and some LAB apparently inhibited the growth of several pernicious bacterial taxa including acetic acid bacteria. The amino acid contents of the samples all increased continuously under the different temperature conditions. Moreover, higher temperatures were associated with higher perceptual intensity of bitterness and contents of amino acids including bitter, sweet, umami, and astringent type amino acids as well as the total amino acid content during fermentation. Furthermore, the total BAA content was strongly and positively correlated with Pediococcus, Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, Monascus, and Halomonas relative abundances, with correlations identified by |r| > 0.6 with P adjusted P < 0.05. In conclusion, these results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying BAA production during the traditional fermentation of HQGRW and will help improve the quality and safety of these wines.