Metagenomics profiling of the microbial community and functional differences in solid-state fermentation vinegar starter (seed Pei) from different Chinese regions

Dong Han; Yunsong Yang; Zhantong Guo; Ken Chen; Shuwen Dai; Yuanyuan Zhu; Yuqin Wang; Zhen Yu; Ke Wang; Peng Liu; Chunchi Rong; Yongjian Yu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1389737

Metagenomics profiling of the microbial community and functional differences in solid-state fermentation vinegar starter (seed Pei) from different Chinese regions

Front Microbiol. 2024 May 2:15:1389737. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1389737. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Dong Han^{1

2}, Yunsong Yang¹, Zhantong Guo¹, Ken Chen¹, Shuwen Dai¹, Yuanyuan Zhu^{1

2}, Yuqin Wang^{1

2}, Zhen Yu^{1

2}, Ke Wang^{1

2}, Peng Liu^{1

2}, Chunchi Rong^{1

2}, Yongjian Yu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China.
² Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center of Grain Bioprocessing, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China.

Abstract

Introduction: The starter used in solid-state fermentation (SSF) vinegar, known as seed Pei is a microbial inoculant from the previous batch that is utilized during the acetic acid fermentation stage. The seed Pei, which has a notable impact on vinegar fermentation and flavor, is under-researched with comparative studies on microorganisms.

Methods: Herein metagenomics was employed to reveal the microbes and their potential metabolic functions of four seed Pei from three regions in China.

Results: The predominant microbial taxa in all four starters were bacteria, followed by viruses, eukaryotes, and archaea, with Lactobacillus sp. or Acetobacter sp. as main functional taxa. The seed Pei used in Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV) and Sichuan bran vinegar (SBV) exhibited a higher similarity in microbial composition and distribution of functional genes, while those used in two Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV) differed significantly. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of physicochemical factors and microbial communities indicated that moisture content, pH, and reducing sugar content are significant factors influencing microbial distribution. Moreover, seven metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that could potentially represent novel species were identified.

Conclusions: There are distinctions in the microbiome and functional genes among different seed Pei. The vinegar starters were rich in genes related to carbohydrate metabolism. This research provides a new perspective on formulating vinegar fermentation starters and developing commercial fermentation agents for vinegar production.

Keywords: metagenomic features; microbial diversity and function; microbiome; seed Pei; solid-state fermentation vinegar.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32200012, No. 32072202, and No. 32372293) and Basic Science Research Program for Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province (Natural Science) (22KJB180016).