Talaromyces funiculosus fermentation enhances Arabica coffee flavor: Comprehensive chemical characterization of
Chenxi Quan1, Zhouwei Wu2, Guilin Hu1
1State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
This study constructed a microbial repository for coffee flavor enhancement by systematically isolating 655 endophytic fungal strains from five Yunnan Arabica cultivars across three maturity stages. Six representative strains selected through colonization capacity and enzymatic activity screening were applied to coffee cherry fermentation. Fungal inoculation substantially altered coffee composition. Talaromyces funiculosus KQ2 showed the most pronounced effects, elevating the sensory score by 1.5 points to specialty-grade classification (≥80 points, p < 0.01) and generating distinctive vanilla-cinnamon notes linked to 1,3-dimethoxybenzene accumulation (OAV = 738). Metabolomic analysis confirmed a 17.11 % sucrose increase (p < 0.001). Multivariate modeling identified 40 strain-specific metabolic markers (VIP >1), including eight water-soluble and thirty-two volatile compounds. These findings establish a chemical basis for endophyte-mediated flavor enhancement and provide a metabolomic framework for designing targeted fermentation strategies.
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