Spatiotemporal distribution of environmental microbiota in spontaneous fermentation workshop: The case of Chinese Baijiu

Yilun Li; Shuangping Liu; Suyi Zhang; Tiantian Liu; Hui Qin; Caihong Shen; Haipo Liu; Feng Yang; Chen Yang; Qianqian Yin; Jian Mao

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111126

Spatiotemporal distribution of environmental microbiota in spontaneous fermentation workshop: The case of Chinese Baijiu

Food Res Int. 2022 Jun:156:111126. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111126. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

Authors

Yilun Li¹, Shuangping Liu², Suyi Zhang³, Tiantian Liu¹, Hui Qin⁴, Caihong Shen⁴, Haipo Liu⁵, Feng Yang⁴, Chen Yang¹, Qianqian Yin¹, Jian Mao⁶

Affiliations

¹ National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
² National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Shaoxing Key Laboratory of Traditional Fermentation Food and Human Health, Jiangnan University (Shaoxing) Industrial Technology Research Institute, Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000, China; National Engineering Research Center of Huangjiu, Zhejiang Guyuelongshan Shaoxing Wine Co., Ltd., Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000, China. Electronic address: liushuangping668@126.com.
³ Luzhou Laojiao Group Co. Ltd, Luzhou 646000, China. Electronic address: zhangsy@lzlj.com.
⁴ Luzhou Laojiao Group Co. Ltd, Luzhou 646000, China.
⁵ China Alcoholic Drinks Association, Beijing 100089, China.
⁶ National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Shaoxing Key Laboratory of Traditional Fermentation Food and Human Health, Jiangnan University (Shaoxing) Industrial Technology Research Institute, Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000, China; National Engineering Research Center of Huangjiu, Zhejiang Guyuelongshan Shaoxing Wine Co., Ltd., Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000, China. Electronic address: maojian@jiangnan.edu.cn.

PMID: 35651005
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111126

Abstract

The strong-flavor Baijiu (SFB) brewing workshop is a complex ecosystem with diverse microbiomes. As a potential source of microbiomes in fermentation, microbiota in the environmental microecology may affect the quality and flavor of SFB. Here, we report the collection of environmental microecological samples from three SFB workshops with different usage times (named 70a, 30a, and new, respectively). We used 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene amplicon full-length sequencing to explore the microbial community structure in SFB. The SourceTracker tool was used to investigate links among fermentation samples, raw materials, and the environment and decipher the construction process in the workshop indoor environment. Lactobacillus acetotolerans was the most important bacterial genus in Zaopei after fermentation, whereas other types of samples exhibited different prokaryotic community structures. The composition of the fungal community was similar, with Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Debaryomyces hansenii, Lichtheimia ramosa, Lichtheimia corymbifera, and Pichia kudriavzevii being the most abundant, and were detected in most samples. Further comparison of the microbiota in the workshop environment showed that the diversity of the microbiota in the indoor environment decreased, showing different clustering patterns under the influence of location. With increasing usage time, the contribution of deterministic processes to the assembly of the prokaryotic community increases, and the community structure tends to stabilize, exhibiting its own characteristics. SFB-fermenting resident functional fungi were the major components of the fungal community, and SourceTracker analysis also highlighted the contributions of Zaopei, Daqu, and tool surfaces as fungal sources. This study is the first to comprehensively monitor the microbial profile of the SFB production environment. This research can be extended to involve more complex spontaneous fermentation environment microbiota and has important implications for the control of spontaneous fermentation.

Keywords: Chinese Baijiu; Environmental microbiome; High-throughput sequencing; Microbial source tracking; Spontaneous fermentation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bacteria / genetics
China
Fermentation
Microbiota*
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics

Substances

RNA, Ribosomal, 16S