Effects of fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GDM1.191 on the umami compounds in shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes)

Shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) is the second most-widely-consumed edible fungi with strong flavor and unique taste. To study the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum fermentation on umami compounds in shiitake mushrooms, the levels of taste-imparting compounds were analyzed, including organic acids, free amino acids, and 5′-nucleotides during fermentation. The contents of all umami compounds except for succinic acid and fumaric acid were improved with increasing fermentation time; broths obtained at each fermentation stage formed clear clusters upon subjecting the electronic tongue data to principal component and discriminant function analyses. Compounds that predominantly contributed to important umami were identified. Among the 30 umami compounds investigated, 11 compounds were considered to be predominantly responsible for the different taste characteristics of shiitake mushroom broths at various stages of fermentation. Taken together, L. plantarum fermentation improved the contents of umami taste compounds in shiitake mushroom.