Nutritional evaluation, flavor characteristics and microbial community of shrimp paste made from different materials and variance analysis

Abstract

This study investigated the nutritional quality, microbial community structure, and flavor compounds of shrimp paste. This traditional Chinese fermented food is usually produced from the head of Litopenaeus vannamei (HP) and whole Acetes chinensis (SP). The results showed that HP contained higher levels of proteins and amino acids (free and hydrolyzed) than SP. Significant differences in flavor compounds and microbial community were observed between HP and SP. The substances specific to SP included 2-methyl butanal,3-methyl butanal, and butanal. In contrast, 2,3-butanedione, 3-pentanone, tetramethylpyrazine, 2,3-diethypyrazine, ethyl acetate, and ethyl propanoate, were identified in HP. The characteristic bacteria of HP were Prebotella, Succiniclasticum, Alkalibacterium, and Tetragenococcus, whereas Oceanobacillus and Virgibacillys were only found in SP. In addition, a microbe-flavor interaction network was used to elucidate the association between microbes and aroma. This study clarified the differences in the microbial community structure of these types of shrimp pastes and analyzed the core aroma-producing microbes.