[Objective] To clarify the succession patterns of Lactobacillus and their regulatory effects on the ethyl acetate-to-ethyl lactate ratio during Xiaoqu Qingxiangxing Baijiu fermentation. [Methods] High-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the species-level succession patterns of Lactobacillus in Xiaoqu and fermented grains (Jiupei). Modified culture media and enrichment methods were employed to isolate Lactobacillus from Jiupei. The dominant Lactobacillus strains were then evaluated for tolerance, subjected to single-carbon-source fermentation experiments, sorghum hydrolysate fermentation experiments, and lab-scale simulated solid-state fermentation with Lactobacillus. The physiological and biochemical characteristics of different Lactobacillus strains, their fermentation characteristics on single carbon sources, and their impact on the ethyl acetate-to-ethyl lactate ratio in the Baijiu were investigated. [Results] A total of 15 Lactobacillus strains were isolated from Jiupei, and high-throughput data analysis identified eight dominant species: Limosilactobacillus pontis, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lentilactobacillus buchneri, Lentilactobacillus hilgardii, Levilactobacillus brevis, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus acetotolerans. Further tolerance tests and single-carbon-source fermentation characterization revealed that all the eight dominant strains could withstand actual fermentation conditions (ethanol/acetic acid/lactic acid). However, L. plantarum exhibited impaired maltose utilization, while L. acetotolerans showed defective d-galactose metabolism. L. helveticus and L. pontis displayed a single-product fermentation profile in single-carbon-source cultures, whereas L. brevis, L. buchneri, and L. hilgardii exhibited multi-product fermentation patterns in both single-carbon-source and sorghum hydrolysate media. In lab-scale simulated solid-state fermentation with Lactobacillus, compared with the control, supplementation with L. hilgardii increased the ethyl lactate and ethyl acetate content by 175% and 44%, respectively, reducing the ethyl acetate-to-ethyl lactate ratio to 0.357. Supplementation with L. buchneri increased the ethyl acetate content by 50% while decreasing the ethyl lactate by 71%, raising the ethyl acetate-to-ethyl lactate ratio to 4.496. [Conclusion] The dominant Lactobacillus strains in Xiaoqu Qingxiangxing Baijiu fermentation exhibit strong overall environmental tolerance, and their metabolic profiles vary in single-carbon-source fermentation. The supplementation with different dominant Lactobacillus strains differentially modulates ester formation. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for dynamically regulating key flavor compounds during Xiaoqu Qingxiangxing Baijiu fermentation.
| 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 |