Comparative Analysis of Microbial Community and Metabonomics in Traditional Sour Meat from Different Regions of China

To characterize the microbial communities and metabolomic profiles of traditional sour meat from different regions of China, sour meat samples collected from Guangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, together with laboratory-prepared sour meat (LSM), were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Significant regional differences were observed in both microbial community composition and metabolite profiles. Firmicutes were the predominant bacterial phylum in most samples, whereas Proteobacteria showed relatively higher abundances in Guizhou sour meat (GZSM) and Yunnan sour meat (YNSM). At the genus level, Lactobacillus predominated in Guangxi sour meat (GXSM) and Hunan sour meat (HNSM), while GZSM and YNSM exhibited distinct bacterial community characteristics with enrichment of specific genera. Metabolomic analysis identified substantial differences in metabolite composition among regions, and the differential metabolites were mainly associated with amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolic pathways. Overall, traditional sour meat from different geographical origins exhibited pronounced regional differentiation in microbial and metabolomic characteristics. These findings provide new insights into the regional characteristics of traditional Chinese sour meat and support future studies on microbial resources, quality evaluation, and product standardization.