Pit mud (PM) is the main component of
Baijiu (traditional Chinese liquor), and its microorganisms are the primary sources of the aroma of Chinese strong-flavor
Baijiu (SFB). Enrichment plays an important role in the selection of functional microorganisms in PM. Herein, the PM
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Pit mud (PM) is the main component of
Baijiu (traditional Chinese liquor), and its microorganisms are the primary sources of the aroma of Chinese strong-flavor
Baijiu (SFB). Enrichment plays an important role in the selection of functional microorganisms in PM. Herein, the PM of SFB was submitted to six rounds of enrichment using clostridial growth medium (CGM), and changes in the metabolite accumulation and microbiota composition were evaluated. Based on the metabolite production and microbiota composition, the enrichment rounds were classified as the acclimation stage (round 2), main fermentation stage (rounds 3 and 4), and late fermentation stage (rounds 5 and 6). Species within the genus
Clostridium dominated in the acclimation stage (65.84–74.51%). In the main fermentation stage, the dominant microbial groups were producers of butyric acid, acetic acid, and caproic acid, which included
Clostridium (45.99–74.80%),
Caproicibacter (1.45–17.02%), and potential new species within the order of
Oscillataceae (14.26–29.10%). In the late stage of enrichment,
Pediococcus dominated (45.96–79.44%). Thus, the main fermentation stage can be considered optimal for the isolation of acid-producing bacteria from PM. The findings discussed herein support the development and application of functional bacteria by bioaugmentation, and contribute to improving the quality of PM and SFB production.
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