In order to produce fermented bamboo shoots with functional properties, two strains of lactic acid bacteria were selected for inoculation and fermentation. One strain, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum R1, exhibited prominent potential probiotic properties (including gastrointestinal condition tolerance, adhesion ability, antimicrobial ability, and antibiotic resistance), while the other, Levilactobacillus brevis R2, demonstrated the capability of high γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production (913.99 ± 14.2 mg/L). The synergistic inoculation of both strains during bamboo shoot fermentation led to a remarkable increase in GABA content (382.31 ± 12.17 mg/kg), surpassing that of naturally fermented bamboo shoots by more than 4.5 times and outperforming mono-inoculated fermentation. Simultaneously, the nitrite content was maintained at a safe level (5.96 ± 1.81 mg/kg). Besides, inoculated fermented bamboo shoots exhibited an increased crude fiber content (16.58 ± 0.04 g/100 g) and reduced fat content (0.39 ± 0.02 g/100 g). Sensory evaluation results indicated a high overall acceptability for the synergistically inoculated fermented bamboo shoots. This study may provide a strategy for the safe and rapid fermentation of bamboo shoots and lay the groundwork for the development of functional vegetable products enriched with GABA.

Red vinasse acid has a distinct flavor and a vivid red color that are directly tied to the intricate metabolic activities of microorganisms that produce it. In this study, metagenomic technology was used to mine its functional genes and examine the microbial diversity of red vinasse acid. The findings revealed the identification of 2,609 species, 782 genera, and 63 phyla of microorganisms, and the dominant genus was Lactobacillus. Amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were significant activities among the 16,093 and 49,652 genes that were annotated in the evolutionary genealogy of genes: Non-supervised Orthologous Groups (eggNOG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, respectively. In gluconeogenesis, red vinasse acid encodes 194 genes controlling the transporter protein systems of different sugars and has key enzyme genes that catalyze the conversion of intracellular sugars into glycolytic intermediates. In amino acid flavor formation, red vinasse acid contains 32 control genes for branched-chain aminotransferase (BCAT), 27 control genes for aromatic-amino-acid transaminase (ArAT), 60 control genes for keto acid invertase, 123 control genes for alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase, and 27 control genes for acetyl esterase, which have the basis for the formation of strong flavor substances from amino acids.