Fermentation is an important process that can provide new flavors and nutritional and functional foods, to deal with changing consumer preferences. Fermented foods have complex chemical components that can modulate unique qualitative properties. Consequently, monitoring the small molecular metabolites in fermented food is critical to clarify its qualitative properties and help deliver personalized nutrition. In recent years, the application of metabolomics to nutrition research of fermented foods has expanded. In this review, we examine the application of metabolomics technologies in food, with a primary focus on the different analytical approaches suitable for food metabolomics and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches. In addition, we summarize emerging studies applying metabolomics in the comprehensive analysis of the flavor, nutrition, function, and safety of fermented foods, as well as emphasize the applicability of metabolomics in characterizing the qualitative properties of fermented foods.
Biobanks |
Role |
References |
MestreNova |
Data processing prediction, publication, verification; Data storage and retrieval |
[97] |
Progenesis QI |
Data processing and normalization; Qualitative, quantitative and identification of small molecules with significant changes |
[98] |
Fermented Foods |
Microorganisms |
Metabolomic analysis |
References |
||||
Techniques |
Compounds/Properties Analyzed |
||||||
Dajiang |
Yeasts, Aspergillus, Mucor, Rhizopus, Lactobacillus, Tetragenococcus |
HS-SPME/GC-MS |
alcohols, esters, phenolic acids, aldehydes, ketones |
[78] |
|||
SIMCA |
|||||||
Red sufu |
Multivariate statistical analysis; pattern recognition of PCA, PLS-DA, OPLS-DA |
[97] [99] [100] [101] |
|||||
Monascus purpureus, Aspergilus oryzae, Actinomucor elegans |
GC-MS, GC-MS-O, E-nose |
amino acids, organic acids |
[119] |
RStudio |
Multivariate tool; Heatmap of metabolites and their concentration changes |
||
Natto | [97] |
||||||
Bacillus subtilis |
GC-MS; NMR |
amino acids, organic acids, pyrazines; ammonia |
[120-122] |
HMDB |
Physicochemical & biological properties; Biomarker discovery; Metabolic pathway information |
[97] [98] [99] [100] [101] |
|
Cheese |
Lactic acid bacteria |
HS-SPME/GC-MS, FT-IR, E-nose |
lactose, lactate and citrate, amino acids, fatty acids |
[113] |
METLIN |
Metabolite identification; Metabolite structure; Links to other databases. |
|
Huangjiu |
Yeasts |
[98] [99] [100] |
|||||
GC/GC-MS, GC-O |
esters, linalool, neroidol, geranyl acetone, 2-pentyl-furan, methanethiol |
[112, 115] |
PubChem |
||||
Baijiu | Biological properties of organic small molecule; Metabolite structure; Links to other databases. |
Yeasts, Lactobacillus, Acetobacter |
[100] |
||||
GC×GC-TOF/MS |
aromatic compounds, pyrazines |
[116] |
MetaboAnalyst |
Data analysis, visualization and functional annotation; Multivariate analysis; Metabolite significance; Pathway identification |
[98] [99] [101] |
||
Red wine |
Yeasts |
HS-SPME-Arrow-GC-MS/MS |
Piperitone, mintlactone, menthyl acetate, neomenthyl acetate |
[79] |
KEGG |
Metabolic pathway; Metabolite interactions; Delivery of gene to metabolite function |
[98] [99] [101] |
Mev |
Hierarchical cluster analysis; Heatmap of metabolites and their concentration changes |
[100] |
|||||
Cytoscape |
Interaction network visualization; Correlation analysis linked to gene, protein, and metabolite expression |
[101] |
Note and Abbreviations: SIMCA, Soft independent modeling of class analogy; YMDB, Yeast Metabolome Database; Mev, Multiple Experiment Viewer
Vinegar | ||||
Acetobacter, Lactobacillus | ||||
HS-SPME/GC-MS |
ethyl acetate, phenylethyl alcohol, acetoin, acetic acid |
[124] |
||
Pu-erh tea |
Monascus purpureus, Bacillus, Rasamsonia, Lichtheimia, Debaryomyces |
HS-SPME/GC-MS |
β-damascenone, methoxybenzene, 2,4-nonadienal, terpinene, linalool |
[114, 117] |
Siniperca chuatsi |
Psychrilyobacter, Fusobacterium, Vibrio |
HS-SPME/GC-MS |
alcohols, hydrocarbons, nitrogen compounds |
[123] |
Shrimp paste |
Salimicrobium, Lentibacillus, Lactobacillus, Tetragenococcus |
HS-SPME/GC-MS |
alcohols, aldehydes, nitrogen compounds |
[125] |
Fermented Foods |
Microorganisms |
Metabolomic analysis |
References |
|
Technique |
Compounds |
|||
Meju |
Bacillus sp., Mucor sp., Aspergillus sp. |
UPLC-Q/TOF MS |
small peptides, amino acids, GABA |
[132] |
Doenjang |
Penicillium glabrum, Aspergillus oryzae |
GC-TOF-MS, UPLC-Q/TOF-MS |
amino acids, organic acids, sugars and sugar alcohols, isoflavones |
[133-135] |
Cheonggukujang (or miso, natto) |
Bacillus subtilis, Mucor sp., Bacillus sp., Aspergillus sp.; E. faecium |
UPLC-Q/TOF-MS |
phenolic compounds, peptides, GABA |
[131, 136] |
Cheese |
Lactic acid bacteria |
NMR |
lactose, uridine diphosphate-hexose, amino acids, organic acids, |
[137] |
Yogurt |
Lactic acid bacteria |
UPLC-Triple/TOF-MS |
lipids, lipid-like molecules, small peptides, amino acids, GABA |
[98] [139] |
Wines |
Yeasts, Lactobacillus, Acetobacter |
NMR, FT-IR; GC/GC-TOF/MS; HPLC-MS; |
Polyphenols, amino acids, ethanol, resveratrol, stilbenes |
[49, 116, 146-147] |
Cabbage vinegar |
Lactobacillus, Acetobacter |
NMR, GC-MS |
organic acids, alcohols, sulfides (dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide) |
[148] |
Pu-erh tea |
Aspergillus pallidofulvus, Aspergillus sesamicola, Penicillium manginii |
UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS |
phenolic compounds, amino acids |
[105] |
Fermented fish sauce |
Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria |
UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS |
small peptides, amino acids |
[23] |
Pickle nozawana |
Latilactobacillus curvatus, Levilactobacillus brevis |
NMR, GC-MS |
organic acids, GABA, choline, 2,3-butanedione, acetoin, ethyl acetate |
[149] |
Fermented Foods |
Microorganisms |
Metabolomic analysis |
References |
|
Techniques |
Compounds/Properties Analyzed |
|||
Doenjang |
Bacillus subtilis, Rizhopus, Mucor, Aspergillus sp |
GC–MS |
soyasaponins |
[134] |
Cheonggukjang |
Bacillus sp. |
GC-TOF-MS, CE-TOF-MS |
soyasaponins |
[21] |
Koji |
Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens |
GC-TOF-MS, UHPLC-MS/MS |
soyasaponins |
[151] |
Vinegar |
Bacillus subtilis, Rizhopus, Mucor, Aspergillus sp. |
GC-MS |
benzoic acid, sorbic acid, dehydroacetic acid, ethyl paraben |
[153] |
Fermented fish sauce |
Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria |
UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS |
trimethylamine N-oxide, putrescine, cadaverine |
[23] |
Shrimp paste, Pickles |
Lentibacillus, Lactobacillus, Latilactobacillus, Tetragenococcus |
GC-FID |
benzoic acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid |
[154] |
Cheese |
Lactic acid bacteria |
GC/LC-MS, NMR, FI-TR |
pathogenic bacteria and its metabolites |
[155] |