Comprehensive analysis of flavor formation mechanisms in the mechanized preparation Cantonese soy sauce koji using absolute quantitative metabolomics and microbiomics approaches.

[Display omitted] • • The flavor active compounds were confirmed. • • Enzymes, microbes, and flavors were quantitatively analyzed. • • Aspergillus and Staphylococcus were the core functional microorganisms. • • The formation pathways of flavor were revealed. • • Fermentation time can be shortened without affecting the quality of koji. Based on the widespread application and under-research of mechanized preparation Cantonese soy sauce koji (MP), absolute quantitative approaches were utilized to systematically analyze the flavor formation mechanism in MP. The results indicated that the enzyme activities increased greatly during MP fermentation, and 4 organic acids, 15 amino acids, and 2 volatiles were identified as significantly different flavor actives. The flavor parameters of MP4 were basically identical to those of MP5. Furthermore, microorganisms were dominated by Staphylococcus , Weissella , and Aspergillus in MP, and their biomass demonstrated an increasing trend. A precise enumeration of microorganisms exposed the inaccuracy of relative quantitative data. Concurrently, Staphylococcus and Aspergillus were positively correlated with numerous enzymes and flavor compounds, and targeted strains for enhancing MP quality. The flavor formation network comprises pathways including carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism and oxidation, and protein degradation and amino acid metabolism. In summary, the fermentation period of MP can be substantially shortened without compromising the product quality. These findings lay the groundwork for refining parameters in modern production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]