The differences in carbohydrate utilization ability between six rounds of Sauce-flavor Daqu

Sauce-flavor Daqu is an important source of fermentation power in baijiu brewing. Revealing carbohydrate metabolism will help to explore the underlying reasons for the difference in fermentation performance of Daqu. In this study, metagenomic and metaproteomic technologies were performed to explore the carbohydrate metabolism network and its active functional microorganisms of Sauce-flavor Daqu. The sugar profile was analyzed using LC-MS to confirm the metabolic network. The results showed that 23 fungi and 5 bacteria were involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Starch metabolism, cellulose metabolism, and glucan metabolism were the main metabolic pathways, in which fungi especially Aspergillus were more involved than bacteria. Among these active microorganisms, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Aspergillus oryzae, Monascus purpureus, Byssochlamys spectabilis, Lichtheimia ramosa, Thermomyces lanuginosus, and Thermoascus aurantiacus were significant functional microorganisms with the ability to produce multiple enzymes. Lichtheimia ramosa, Lichtheimia corymbifera and Kroppenstedtia eburnea were biomarkers of Daqu in the first round, granting it a better liquefaction ability. β-amylase derived from wheat also played an important role in starch degradation, and the synergistic effect with α-amylase endowed Daqu with higher liquefaction power in the first two rounds. The results of this study are of great significance for the analysis of the mechanism of Daqu fermentation and provide a reliable theoretical basis for strengthening the fermentation performance of Daqu.