Designing a Synthetic Microbial Community to Enhance Flavor Compound Production in Sesame Flavor-Type Baijiu...

Fuqu plays a crucial role in initiating fermentation and flavor compound production during sesame flavor-type baijiu fermentation. However, selecting microorganisms for Fuqu to enhance flavor compound production remains a challenge. This work designs a synthetic microbial community (SynCom) for Fuqu to improve the production of flavor compounds, with a focus on the diversity of flavor compounds and the content of a key flavor compound-sulfur compounds. Through multi-omics analysis, 13 genera (Aspergillus, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Trichosporon, Weissella, Candida, Torulaspora, Clavispora, and Wickerhamomyces) were identified as core microbiota involved in the production of those flavor compounds, and these core microbiota were used to construct a SynCom to enhance flavor compound production in baijiu fermentation. The resulting SynCom exhibited the highest flavor compound diversity (0.64) and 3-(methylthio)-1-propanal content (618.14 μg/kg) in simulative fermentation. In large-scale production, Fuqu made with the SynCom achieved greater flavor compound diversity (0.56) and a higher concentration of 3-(methylthio)-1-propanal (590 μg/kg) compared to commercial Fuqu (0.40 and 324 μg/kg, respectively) (p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the SynCom developed for Fuqu effectively enhances the production of flavor compounds. This work provides a strategy for constructing SynCom to improve the formation of flavor compounds in baijiu fermentation.