Abstract:The fungal diversity of special-flavor Baijiu, namely medium-high-temperature and high-temperature Daqu, from Yingtan, Jiangxi Province was analyzed through high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that Aspergillus (18.40%), Xeromyces (18.16%), Rhizopus (11.33%), and Lichtheimia (10.01%) were the dominant fungal genera in Daqu. The diversity analysis further suggested that fungal diversity and abundance in the medium-high-temperature Daqu were significantly higher than those in the high-temperature Daqu (P<0.05), and their overall fungal community structures differed significantly (P=0.001). In particular, Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, and Lichtheimia were the potential key genera in the medium-high-temperature Daqu, whereas Candida, Hyphopichia, and Deuteromycetes were the potential key genera in the high-temperature Daqu. Variance analysis indicated that the abundance of Rhizopus, Lichtheimia, Candida, and Xeromyces differed significantly between the two types of Daqu (P<0.05). Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that the network structures of the fungal genera in the two Daqu differed significantly, and the stability of the fungal community in the high-temperature Daqu was higher. In conclusion, as the production temperature of special-flavor Daqu increases, the diversity and abundance of the fungal communities in it will gradually diminish, leading to a considerable alteration in the community structure; however, the stability of the fungal community structure and the complexity of the ecological network in Daqu will increase.
