Analysis of dynamic changes and correlation between microbial community and flavor quality during fermentation.

Unlabelled: This study elucidated the succession of microbial community structures and their influence on the physicochemical parameters and volatile compounds in fermented grains (FG) of . 14 dominant microorganisms were identified. gradually replaced and , while declined at day 6 of tank fermentation (TF6). Starch content and pH decreased significantly ( < 0.05), while acidity and moisture increased and reducing sugar content fluctuated in FG. Furthermore, 64 volatile compounds were identified, with 14 key compounds, including ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, and phenethyl alcohol, which significantly increased at TF6 ( < 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficient revealed and significantly affected ( < 0.05) physicochemical properties and volatile compounds. Finally, a metabolic network was constructed to predict the metabolic pathways in FG. These findings provide multidimensional insight into the FG, and laid a theoretical foundation for quality improvement.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-01842-x.