Abstract:Lactobacillus paracasei holds a significant role in the food industry and safety control. To conserve equipment space, minimize production costs, and elevate its application value, high-density fermentation is implemented. In this particular study, low-cost molasses and deoiled Idesia polycarpa maxim were utilized as substrates for the high-density fermentation of Lactobacillus paracasei F50. The culture conditions and medium components were meticulously optimized, with the strain density serving as the primary response variable. The results of the study unveiled the optimal fermentation conditions for Lactobacillus paracasei, which included a 3.5% inoculum, a culture environment with a pH of 6.7, 1.7% calcium carbonate, and a 3.2 g/L defatted Idesia polycarpa meal for fermentation. The final strain density could be increased from 7.3×108 CFU/mL to 1.7×1010 CFU/mL, about 23 times that of conventional culture. The aflatoxin removal rate increased from 18.15% before optimization to 48.17% after optimization. To delve deeper into the reasons behind this improvement in aflatoxin removal rate following high-density culture, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) non-targeted metabolomics technology was utilized to analyze the supernatant of Lactobacillus paracasei before and after the optimized culture.The findings of this analysis revealed the presence of 535 primary differential metabolites in the Lactobacillus paracasei fermentation broth before and after optimization. Notably, there was an increase in the contents of lipids, peptides, and organic acid metabolites. Moreover, various amino acid metabolic pathways were found to be significantly expressed, contributing to glutathione biosynthesis.In conclusion, this study provides a valuable reference for the high-density fermentation of Lactobacillus paracasei and research into biological detoxification, offering insights into the optimization of fermentation conditions and the metabolic changes associated with enhanced aflatoxin removal rates.