Unraveling the contribution of pre-salting duration to microbial succession and changes of volatile and non-volatile organic compounds in Suancai (a Chinese traditional fermented vegetable) during fermentation

[Display omitted] •Longer pre-salting reduced isothiocyanates with pungent off-flavor of Suancai.•Longer pre-salting led to more acidic and milder flavor of Suancai.•Pre-salting duration affected flavor of Suancai via regulating microbial profile.•Pre-salting duration is a control point for improving flavor quality of Suancai. Pre-salting is an important pre-treatment during production of Suancai as it provides flavor precursor and microbial community for subsequent fermentation. To investigate the effect of pre-salting duration on fermentation of Suancai, the physicochemical properties, microbial composition, non-volatile and volatile organic compounds profiles of Suancai pre-salted for 1 month (1 M) and 7 months (7 M) were analyzed during fermentation for 30 days. Results showed that 7 M led to higher salt content, faster depletion of reducing sugars, and more titratable acidity. Additionally, more lactic acid and acetic acid, and less umami amino acid (Glu) and GABA were observed in 7 M. Longer pre-salting duration (7 M) promoted formation of mild-flavor volatile compounds, and significantly reduced isothiocyanates with pungent off-flavor. Moreover, 7 M promoted abundance of genera Chromohalobacter, Vibrio and Pichia, while reducing abundance of Lactobacillus, Debaryomyces and Kazachstania throughout fermentation. These results implicated that longer pre-salting duration facilitated more acidic, milder flavor and less pungent off-odor in Suancai. This study provided a perspective for pre-salting as a control point for improving quality of fermented vegetable.