Contribution of autochthonous microbiota succession to flavor formation during Chinese fermented mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi).

Complex microbial metabolism is key to the unique flavor formation of Chinese fermented mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi). However, the association between microorganisms and production of specific flavor components during fermentation is unclear. In this study, headspace-solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography -mass spectrometry was performed to identify flavor components in fermented samples of S. chuatsi, and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA was conducted to identify the diversity and succession of microbial communities. A correlation network model was adopted to predict the relationship between key microorganisms and flavor formation. The results revealed alcohols, nitrogen compounds, aldehydes, and esters as the main flavor components, and three microbial genera (Psychrilyobacter, Fusobacterium, and Acidaminococcus) were closely associated with the production of these components. These microorganisms contributed to formation of characteristic flavor substances such as linalool, trimethylamine, indole, and Geranyl acetate. This study improves the understanding of different roles of microorganisms in flavor formation during mandarin fish fermentation.