The response pattern of the microbial community structure and metabolic profile of jiupei to Bacillus subtilis JP1 addition during baijiu fermentation

BACKGROUND Baijiu brewing is a complex and multifaceted multimicrobial co‐fermentation process, in which various microorganisms interact to form an interdependent micro‐ecosystem, subsequently influencing metabolic activities and compound production. Among these microorganisms, Bacillus, an important bacterial genus in the liquor brewing process, remains unclear in its role in shaping the brewing microbial community and its functional metabolism. RESULTS A baijiu fermentation system was constructed using B. subtilis JP1 isolated from native jiupei (grain mixture) combined with daqu (a saccharifying agent) and huangshui (a fermentation byproduct). Based on high‐throughput amplicon sequencing analysis, it was evident that B. subtilis JP1 significantly influences bacterial microbial diversity and fungal community structure in baijiu fermentation. Of these, Aspergillus and Monascus emerge as the most markedly altered microbial genera in the jiupei community. Based on co‐occurrence networks and bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis models, it was demonstrated that the addition of B. subtilis JP1 intensified microbial interactions in jiupei fermentation, consequently enhancing the production of volatile flavor compounds such as heptanoic acid, butyl hexanoate and 3‐methylthiopropanol in jiupei. CONCLUSION B. subtilis JP1 significantly alters the microbial community structure of jiupei, enhancing aroma formation during fermentation. These findings will contribute to a broader application in solid‐state fermentation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.