Volume 46, Issue 9 e16579
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Changes in bacterial community structure and quality characteristics during fermentation of stinky variegated carp (Aristichthys nobilis)

Chunxia Pang

Chunxia Pang

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

Contribution: Data curation, ​Investigation, Methodology, Writing - original draft

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Yi Li

Yi Li

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

Contribution: ​Investigation, Methodology

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Renying Yu

Renying Yu

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

Contribution: ​Investigation, Methodology

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Junhao Wang

Junhao Wang

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

Contribution: ​Investigation, Methodology

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Xuerui Li

Xuerui Li

Agro-Products Processing Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, People's Republic of China

Contribution: Data curation, Methodology

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Yuru Chen

Yuru Chen

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

Contribution: Data curation, Methodology

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Lijuan Yu

Corresponding Author

Lijuan Yu

Agro-Products Processing Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, People's Republic of China

Correspondence

Lijuan Yu, Agro-Products Processing Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650221, People's Republic of China.

Email: [email protected]

Haibo Luo, School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, People's Republic of China.

Email: [email protected]

Contribution: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing - review & editing

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Haibo Luo

Corresponding Author

Haibo Luo

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

Correspondence

Lijuan Yu, Agro-Products Processing Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650221, People's Republic of China.

Email: [email protected]

Haibo Luo, School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, People's Republic of China.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 25 March 2022

Abstract

Bacterial metabolism greatly affects the quality and flavor of traditional, low-salt fermented fish. We assessed changes in the bacterial community structure and quality characteristics of “stinky” variegated carp (Aristichthys nobilis) during fermentation at 20°C. The total viable count (TVC), firmness, chewiness, tackiness, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels, and relative peak area of volatile compounds significantly (p < .05) increased, while the pH, weight, and elasticity dramatically decreased, during fermentation. The total free amino acid (FAA) content decreased early during fermentation (from 0–2 d) and then significantly (p < .05) increased (from 3–5 d). The levels of flavorful AAs (aspartic acid, glutamate, phenylalanine, tyrosine, alanine, and glycine) increased markedly after 4 d of fermentation. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC–MS) revealed that the levels of ketones, ethers, and nitrogenous compounds increased significantly (p < .05) during fermentation. Illumina MiSeq sequencing identified Plesiomonas as the dominant bacterial genus during fermentation, followed by Aeromonas, Cetobacterium, Vibrio, and Hathewaya. These bacteria may contribute to the flavor and aroma of stinky variegated carp. The association between bacterial succession and the flavor and taste of stinky fish was also discussed.

Practical applications

Variegated carp could be processed to create stinky fish. In this study, bacterial community structure and quality characteristics analysis were assessed. FAAs and volatile compounds related to flavor and aroma were found. A potential starter culture that could improve the quality of stinky variegated carp was identified. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the industrial production of fermented stinky fish.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Zenodo repository at https://zenodo.org/record/6393225#.YkLSAsij7yt.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.