Abstract:Traditional solid-state fermented vinegar has superior flavor and quality due to its rich flora. As lactic acid bacteria are important functional microorganisms in solid-state vinegar fermentation, they are widely used in food-related and biological fields. However, lactic acid bacteria are stressed by high ethanol concentrations during vinegar fermentation. Therefore, how lactic acid bacteria survive at high ethanol concentrations should be explored. In this study, ethanol-tolerant Lactobacillus paracasei PC-5 and ethanol-intolerant Lactobacillus plantarum PR-7 were selected for comparison. Based on the biological indicators, the polysaccharide content and cell membrane permeability of PC-5 increased to 0.56% and 75%, respectively, and were significantly higher than those of PR-7 in an ethanol environment with a volume fraction of 8%. PC-5 outperformed PR-7 in terms of the activities of hexokinase (HK), 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK), and pyruvate kinase (PK) in the metabolic pathway, with activities increasing to 99.80, 2.78, and 3.43 U/mg, respectively. Finally, PC-5 was added to the vinegar at different fermentation stages to achieve mixed culture co-fermentation with yeast. Polyphenol production and total antioxidant capacity were found to increase by 32.14% and 55.56%, respectively, compared with those of single culture bacteria fermentation. Therefore, lactic acid bacteria had positive stimulation effects on vinegar fermentation. Such findings provide a good theoretical basis for the use of lactic acid bacteria in mixed culture fermentation of vinegar.
