Analysis of Changes in Flavor Profile and Bacterial Succession During Pork Fermentation Using Multi-Omics-Based...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Microbiology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Sour meat is a traditional fermented product with complex flavors developed during fermentation.
• Understanding the dynamic interplay between microbial communities and volatile compounds is crucial for controlling its quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the changes in volatile compounds and bacterial succession during pork sour meat fermentation.
• To correlate specific bacterial genera with the development of key flavor-related volatile compounds.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electric nose (E-nose) and electric tongue (E-tongue) for sensory profiling.
• Employed gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for volatile compound analysis.
• Applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing for bacterial community profiling and Pearson correlation for data integration.

Main Results:

• E-nose and E-tongue successfully differentiated samples across fermentation stages (0-45 days).
• Esters, alcohols, and aldehydes were the primary volatile compounds, with esters dominating at 45 days.
• Bacterial communities were dominated by Firmicutes, with Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, and Weissella identified as key genera, showing distinct correlations with specific volatile compounds like acetic acid and various esters.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a comprehensive analysis of volatile compound evolution and bacterial succession in pork sour meat.
• Established clear associations between specific bacterial genera and key flavor compounds, offering insights into flavor development.
• Offers a scientific foundation for understanding and optimizing the flavor quality of fermented pork products.