Enhancing the quality of fermented plant leaves: the role of metabolite signatures and associated fungi

Lei Xing; Jinshan Lei; Jie Liu; Zhen Yang; Zhishun Chai; Wen Cai; Min Zhang; Delong Meng; Yujie Wang; Huaqun Yin

doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1335850

Enhancing the quality of fermented plant leaves: the role of metabolite signatures and associated fungi

Front Plant Sci. 2024 Mar 20:15:1335850. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1335850. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Lei Xing^{1

2

3}, Jinshan Lei^{1

2

3}, Jie Liu^{1

2

3}, Zhen Yang^{1

2

3}, Zhishun Chai^{1

2

3}, Wen Cai^{1

2

3}, Min Zhang⁴, Delong Meng⁴, Yujie Wang⁴, Huaqun Yin^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd, Chengdu, China.
² Cigar Fermentation Technology Key Laboratory of China Tobacco (China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd.), Chengdu, China.
³ Industrial Efficient Utilization of Domestic Cigar Tobacco Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China.
⁴ School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Changsha, China.

Abstract

Fungi play a pivotal role in fermentation processes, influencing the breakdown and transformation of metabolites. However, studies focusing on the effects of fungal-metabolite correlations on leaf fermentation quality enhancement are limited. This study investigated specific metabolites and fungi associated with high- and low-quality fermented plant leaves. Their changes were monitored over fermentation periods of 0, 8, 16, and 24 days. The results indicated that organoheterocyclic compounds, lipids, lipid-like molecules, organic nitrogen compounds, phenylpropanoids, and polyketides were predominant in high-quality samples. The fungi Saccharomyces (14.8%) and Thermoascus (4.6%) were predominantly found in these samples. These markers exhibited significant changes during the 24-day fermentation period. The critical influence of fungal community equilibrium was demonstrated by interspecies interactions (e.g., between Saccharomyces and Eurotium). A co-occurrence network analysis identified Saccharomyces as the primary contributor to high-quality samples. These markers collectively enhance the quality and sensory characteristics of the final product.

Keywords: fermentation; fungal; interactions; metabolites; plant leaves.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Environmental Microbiome and Application (No. 2018WK4019).