Dissecting flavor formation and microbial succession during traditional fermentation help to promote standardized and large-scale production in the sour shoot industry. The principal objective of the present research is to elucidate the interplay between the physicochemical attributes, flavor, and microbial compositions of sour bamboo shoots in the process of fermentation. The findings obtained from the principal component analysis (PCA) indicated notable fluctuations in both the physicochemical parameters and flavor components throughout the 28 day fermentation process. At least 13 volatile compounds (OAV > 1) have been detected as characteristic aroma compounds in sour bamboo shoots. Among these, 2,4-dimethyl Benzaldehyde exhibits the highest OAV (129.73~668.84) and is likely the primary contributor to the sour odor of the bamboo shoots. The analysis of the microbial community in sour bamboo shoots revealed that the most abundant phyla were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while the most prevalent genera were Enterococcus, Lactococcus, and Serratia. The results of the correlation analysis revealed that Firmicutes exhibited a positive correlation with various chemical compounds, including 3,6-nonylidene-1-ol, 2,4-dimethyl benzaldehyde, silanediol, dimethyl-, nonanal, and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentylenediol diisobutyrate. Similarly, Lactococcus was found to be positively correlated with several chemical compounds, such as dimethyl-silanediol, 1-heptanol, 3,6-nonylidene-1-ol, nonanal, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate, dibutyl phthalate, and TA. This study provides a theoretical basis for the standardization of traditional natural fermented sour bamboo production technology, which will help to further improve the flavor and quality of sour bamboo.

Sour bamboo shoot is a Chinese fermented vegetable with unique flavors and is favored by local consumers. In this study, at different fermentation times, the texture of bamboo shoots and the changing rules of pH, titratable acid (TA), reduced sugar, and nitrite in bamboo shoot fermentation broth were explored. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to investigate the dominant aroma compounds. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology (HTS) was employed to investigate the core microbial communities. The results show that the chewiness, fracturability, hardness, and pH decreased, while TA increased during the 60-day fermentation. The contents of reducing sugar and nitrite peaked on the 14th day of fermentation and then decreased. A total of 80 volatile compounds were detected during sour bamboo shoot fermentation, with 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol having the highest concentration. Among them, 12 volatile compounds (VIP ≥ 1) were identified as characteristic aroma substances of sour bamboo shoots. The dominant bacterial phyla in sour bamboo shoots were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Bacillus and Acinetobacter were the dominant genus. Correlation analysis showed that Firmicutes exhibited a positive correlation with 3,6-Nonadien-1-ol, (E,Z)-, Oxalic acid, isobutyl hexyl ester, and (-)-O-Acetylmalic anhydride, whereas Bacillus exhibited a negative correlation with Silanediol, dimethyl-, and Oxime-, methoxy-phenyl-. A detailed picture of the microbial community of fermented bamboo shoots has been provided by this study, and it may provide insight into the Chinese traditional fermented vegetable microbial structure.

Dendrocalamus farinosus bamboo shoots, a species with rich nutritional value, are important in Southwest China. Lignin is an important factor affecting the postharvest flavor quality of bamboo shoots; however, the underlying mechanism of lignin deposition in D. farinosus bamboo shoots during cold storage is still not fully understood. In this study, the mutant D. farinosus XK4 with low lignin content at 3.11% and the cultivated variety ZPX at 4.47% were used as experimental materials. The lignin content of D. farinosus XK4 and ZPX, as well as the gene expression differences between them, were compared and analyzed during cold storage using transcriptomic and physiological methods. Our analysis revealed several key genes and found that D. farinosus CCoAOMT1 plays a key role in the regulatory network of bamboo shoots during cold storage. Tobacco heterologous transformation experiments demonstrated that overexpression of DfCCoAOMT1 significantly increases lignin content. This study provides a novel foundation for future research aimed at improving the postharvest quality and flavor of D. farinosus bamboo shoots through targeted genetic manipulation during cold storage.

This study investigates the critical role of microbial succession in flavor formation during low-salt (1 % NaCl) fermentation of Jipo bamboo shoots (JPBS). Results demonstrated that texture was significantly correlated with pH and organic acids (p < 0.01), with lactic and quinic acids dominant in the final fermentation stage. Based on a flavor wheel constructed from 27 key flavor compounds (OAV > 1), 2,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde was identified as the main contributor to the aroma. High-throughput sequencing revealed a microbial succession from Bacillus to Lactobacillus (10.54 %) and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae (59.81 %), whose abundance correlated with acid and flavor accumulation (r = 0.76–0.95). Lactococcus abundance positively correlated with 2,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde. KEGG predictions highlighted carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., glycolysis) and amino acid metabolism (e.g., branched-chain amino acid degradation) as key pathways for flavor compound synthesis. This study lays the foundation for optimizing low-salt bamboo shoot fermentation technology.

Fermented bamboo shoots are a distinctive ingredient in Southern cuisine. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology (HTS) were employed to investigate the relationship among physicochemical properties, characteristic volatile compounds, and core microbial communities. The results show that the chewiness, fracturability, hardness, and pH decreased, while total acidity increased during 60d-fermentation. The contents of reducing sugar and nitrite reached the peak on the 14th day of fermentation and then decreased. A total of 80 volatile compounds were detected during sour bamboo shoot fermentation, with 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol having the highest concentration. Among them, 12 volatile compounds (VIP ≥ 1) were identified as characteristic aroma substances of sour bamboo shoots. The dominant bacterial phyla in sour bamboo shoots were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Bacillus and Acinetobacter were the dominant genus. Correlation analysis showed that Firmicutes positive correlation with 3,6-Nonadien-1-ol, (E,Z)-, Oxalic acid, isobutyl hexyl ester ,(-)-O-Acetylmalic anhydride, TA Bacillus was negative correlation with Silanediol, dimethyl-, and Oxime-, methoxy-phenyl-. This study provides a theoretical basis for screening flavor-enhancing microorganisms as fermentation agents in sour bamboo shoots, which can contribute to the improvement of their quality.

Fargesia rufa, one of the main food bamboo species for giant pandas, exhibits significant changes in nutritional composition with altitudinal gradient. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this adaptation and its impact on the foraging behavior of giant pandas remain unclear. In this study, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were integrated to compare gene expression and metabolite profiles in leaves and rhizomes of F. rufa collected from 1000 m and 2000 m altitudes. With increasing altitude, 710 metabolites were up-regulated and 1032 were down-regulated in the leaves of F. rufa, whereas 684 metabolites were up-regulated and 1342 were down-regulated in the rhizomes; only 629 differential metabolites were shared between the two organs. Further analyses revealed that F. rufa responds to altitudinal changes through organ-specific metabolic reprogramming: leaves adopt a “metabolic conservation” strategy, downregulating the majority of flavonoid and phenylpropanoid metabolites, while rhizomes take an “active storage” strategy, significantly enhancing secondary metabolite synthesis and starch accumulation. This functional differentiation is consistent with the biological roles of the organs: the metabolic simplification of leaves may enhance the palatability of high-altitude leaves, while the nutritional reserves in rhizomes support bamboo shoot emergence. This study reveals the molecular mechanisms of bamboo’s altitudinal adaptation at the organ level, clarifies the intrinsic link between plant metabolism and animal diet, and provides a theoretical basis for giant panda habitat conservation.