Comparative Analysis of the Microbiotas and Physicochemical Properties Inside and Outside Medium-temperature During the Fermentation and Storage

Medium-temperature (MT-), a saccharification-fermentation agent and aroma-producing agent, is used to produce Chinese strong-flavor . Many related studies have been published; however, less is known about microbial community and quality properties inside and outside the MT- from fermentation to storage. Here, along with determining the physicochemical index, the microbial community of MT- was investigated using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods during 31 days of fermentation and 4 months of storage. Volatile compounds of mature MT- were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated obvious variation in the microbial community due to the changes in environmental conditions, and the physicochemical indices shifted from fluctuations in the fermentation period to relative stability after storage for 3 months. Moreover, the microbial counts and physicochemical indices of the inner layers of MT- differed from those of the outer layers. The dominant communities, including the bacterial phyla , , and and the fungal phyla and , showed different abundances in the two parts of the mature MT-, and different microbial communities were enriched in both parts. Additionally, pyrazines and alcohols were the most abundant volatile aroma compounds in the mature MT-.