Affiliation:
1. Innovation Division, Gurunavi, Inc., Hibiya Mitsui Tower, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
2. School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the initial microbiota on microbial succession and metabolite transition during eggplant fermentation. Samples of traditional Japanese eggplant pickles,
shibazuke
, which were spontaneously fermented by plant-associated microbiota, were used for the analysis. Microbiota analysis indicated two successional patterns: early dominance of lactic acid bacteria superseded by aerobic bacteria and early dominance of lactic acid bacteria maintained to the end of the production process. Next,
shibazuke
production was modeled using filter-sterilized eggplant juice, fermenting the average composition of the initial
shibazuke
microbiota, which was artificially constructed from six major species identified during
shibazuke
production. In contrast to
shibazuke
production, all batches of eggplant juice fermentation showed almost identical microbial succession and complete dominance of
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum
in the final microbiota. These findings revealed the fate of initial microbiota under
shibazuke
production conditions: the early dominance of lactic acid bacteria that was maintained throughout, with
L. plantarum
ultimately predominating the microbiota. Furthermore, a comparison of the results between
shibazuke
production and eggplant juice fermentation suggested that
L. plantarum
is involved in the production of lactic acid, alanine, and glutamic acid during eggplant fermentation regardless of the final microbiota.
IMPORTANCE
The findings shown in this study provide insight into the microbial succession during spontaneous pickle fermentation and the role of
Lactiplantibacillus
plantarum in eggplant pickle production. Moreover, the novel method of using filter-sterilized vegetable juice with an artificial microbiota to emulate spontaneous fermentation can be applied to other spontaneously fermented products. This approach allows for the evaluation of the effect of specific initial microbiota in the absence of plant-associated bacteria from raw materials potentially promoting a greater understanding of microbial behavior in complex microbial ecosystems during vegetable fermentation.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology