Enhancing flavor, antioxidant activity, and bitterness improvement in chestnut-Cistanche co-fermentation: a sensomics and widely targeted metabolomics study.

Abstract

Our study developed a chestnut-Cistanche co-fermented beverage (CCFB) using mixed lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation. The quality of different types of CCFB were studied. Firstly, LAB fermentation significantly altered the physicochemical properties, flavor, and taste of CCFB using Lactobacillus plantarum LWCC3001 and Lactobacillus plantarum LWCC3005. Fermentation enhanced antioxidant activity, with the ABTS radical scavenging rate doubling. Secondly, electronic tongue analysis showed the bitterness response signal value of the ZW3005 group (1.50) was significantly lower than CK (0.02) (P < 0.05). GC-IMS detected 27 volatile compounds. Among them, propanal decreased approximately 12-fold in the mixed fermentation (MIX) group. Comprehensive metabolomics analysis revealed that fermentation substantially reshaped the metabolic profiles of the CCFB. Specifically, the alkaloid metabolism pathway promoted the degradation of certain bitter compounds, while activation of the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway enhanced the biosynthesis of antioxidant compounds. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the further processing of CCFB.

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