To clarify the aroma-producing characteristics of Bacillus licheniformis in high-temperature Daqu of sauce-flavor Baijiu and its contribution to Baijiu flavor formation, this study isolated and purified 16 strains of B. licheniformis from high-temperature Daqu. Using programmed temperature solid-state fermentation combined with artificial sensory evaluation, as well as headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the relationship between metabolic profiles and sensory attributes of different strains of the same species was systematically analyzed. The results showed that the flavor characteristics of solid-state fermentation products from different strains could be classified into five categories: Roasted/nutty-fatty aroma, douchi aroma, sulfurous notes, soy sauce/fermented paste aroma, and fruity-acidic aroma. A total of 198 volatile compounds were identified through volatile component analysis. Pyrazines were dominant in all strain types, while the composition of other volatile compounds showed distinct differences: Aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols were more abundant in strains with roasted/nutty-fatty aroma, douchi aroma, sulfurous notes; Aldehydes, acids, and alcohols were higher in soy sauce/fermented paste aroma strains; Acids and ketones were predominant in fruity-acidic aroma strains. Key differential aroma components were further screened by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) with a variable importance in projection (VIP) value>1.0, and combined with a relative odor activity value (ROAV)>1.0. Five substances were ultimately identified as crucial for discriminating the aroma profiles of different sensory categories of B. licheniformis: 4-methoxyphenol (a key common component of roasted/nutty-fatty aroma, douchi aroma, and soy sauce/fermented paste aroma strains), isovaleric acid (a key common component of douchi aroma and fruity-acidic aroma strains), 2-octanone (a key component of fruity-acidic aroma strains), 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (a key component of roasted/nutty-fatty aroma, douchi aroma, and sulfurous notes strains), and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (a key component of soy sauce/fermented paste aroma strains).
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |