Microbial Community Succession and Its Correlation with Quality Characteristics during Gray Sufu Fermentation

Area of Science:

• Food Microbiology
• Fermentation Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Gray sufu is a traditional fermented soybean food with complex microbial processes.
• The microbial community composition and its impact on sufu quality are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate microbial community dynamics during sufu fermentation.
• To explore the relationship between microbiota and key quality characteristics, including biogenic amines.

Main Methods:

• Systematic sampling of sufu during different fermentation phases.
• Identification of bacterial and fungal genera using molecular techniques.
• Redundancy analysis and Spearman correlation to assess microbiota-physicochemical property relationships.

Main Results:

• 143 bacterial and 84 fungal genera were identified, with Chishuiella, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, and Weissella predominant bacteria.
• Trichosporon became the dominant fungus (>84%) after seven days, correlating with biogenic amines.
• Significant correlations were found between specific bacteria (e.g., Chishuiella) and physicochemical properties (pH, protein, amino nitrogen).
• Five biogenic amines were detected, primarily tyramine (>75%), with strong positive correlations to several bacterial and fungal genera.

Conclusions:

• Microbial communities significantly influence the physicochemical properties and biogenic amine profiles of gray sufu.
• Specific microorganisms like Chishuiella and Trichosporon play crucial roles in sufu fermentation.
• Findings support developing microbial regulation strategies for enhanced quality control in sufu production.