Daqu is an important saccharifying and fermenting agent. It provides various microorganisms and enzymes for the fermentation of Baijiu and plays a vital role in the formation of Baijiu flavor. However, it is difficult to obtain information on microbial growth and metabolism in time for Daqu production. Therefore, the “Qu Xiang” obtained by smelling is an important index in the traditional production process to evaluate the microbial fermentation in the process of Daqu-making, “Qu Xiang” mainly represents the volatile flavor compounds in Daqu. The microbial diversity and volatile metabolites on 0, 6, 16, and 29 days of the fermentation process were measured using high-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Significant differences were found in the composition of the microbial community. Pseudomonas, Weissella, Bacillus, and Pelomonas were the main bacterial genera. Alternaria, Rhizopus, and Pichia are the main fungal genera. A total of 32 differential volatile metabolites were detected in samples at four time points using differential metabolic analysis. The correspondence of prevailing microorganisms with differential metabolites distinguished by Spearman correlation and two-way orthogonal partial least square analysis show that Saccharopolyspora exhibited a significant connection for the 12 differential metabolites. A significant positive correlation was observed between Rhizomucor and 13 different metabolites. These findings further understanding of the metabolism of microorganisms in Daqu fermentation and also help to control the microorganisms in the Daqu-making process, to obtain more stable Baijiu products.

Understanding howBaijiufacilitates blood circulation and prevents blood stasis is crucial for revealing the mechanism ofBaijiufor cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction. Here we established a zebrafish thrombosis model induced using arachidonic acid (AA) to quantitatively evaluate the antithrombotic effect of WuliangyeBaijiu. The prevention and reduction effects of aspirin, Wuliangye, and ethanol on thrombosis were compared using imaging and molecular characterization. WuliangyeBaijiureduces thrombotic risks and oxidative stress in the AA-treated zebrafish, while ethanol with the same concentration has no similar effect. The prevention and reduction effects of Wuliangye on thrombosis are attributed to the change in the metabolic and signaling pathways related to platelet aggregation and adhesion, oxidative stress and inflammatory response.