Production of an innovative mixed Qu (fermentation starter) for waxy maize brewing and comparison of the quality of different waxy maize wines.

BACKGROUND: Waxy maize (Zea mays L. sinensis Kulesh) is a good material for brewing. Waxy maize wine, a kind of Chinese rice wine, is strongly affected by a fermentation starter named Qu. In this study, an innovative mixed Qu, consisting of two yeasts and three molds, was produced and the raw-starch brewing method was applied in winemaking. Three other waxy maize wines fermented by three kinds of commercial Qu were also analyzed for comparison. RESULTS: Due to superb growth and fermentation characteristics, Saccharomyces cerevisiae CICC1009 and Pichia anomala CICC1851 were chosen to produce yeast Qu. The addition amount of yeast Qu was determined to be 30 g kg-1 . In terms of chemical properties, mixed Qu was more suitable for making maize wine by the raw-starch brewing method than the three kinds of commercial Qu with which it was compared. The most influential components for the overall aroma profile in maize wines fermented by mixed Qu and Mifeng Qu were ethyl butyrate and ß-damascenone, respectively, while in maize wines fermented by Angel Qu and Like Qu the most influential component was ethyl octanoate. Obvious differences were found among four maize wines regarding bitterness, umami, richness, saltiness, and sourness by the electronic tongue. The olfactory characteristics of maize wine fermented by Mifeng Qu were quite different from the other three according to the electronic nose. CONCLUSION: The innovative mixed Qu can be considered as an excellent starter for raw-starch brewing of waxy maize. The chemical indices and volatile flavor compounds of waxy maize wines were greatly affected by different kinds of Qu. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of pre-cutting treatments and combination drying with different orders on drying characteristics and physicochemical properties of Lentinula edodes.

BACKGROUND: Combination drying is recognized as an energy-efficient method utilized for dry product processing, and proper order of combination is a critical factor determining the effectiveness of the technique. In this study, hot air drying (HD), vacuum freeze-drying (VFD), and combination drying with different orders (HD-VFD and VFD-HD) are performed on whole Lentinula edodes and pre-cut (half-cut and quarter-cut) L. edodes. The effects of various cutting and drying approaches on drying characteristics, physicochemical properties, and microstructures of dried L. edodes were investigated. RESULTS: The longest processing time required to dry the whole L. edodes by VFD was 25 h. In contrast, the pre-cutting treatment and combination drying certainly shortened the drying time. Compared with HD, use of VFD-HD and VFD significantly decreased the shrinkage ratio, hardness, and discoloration of dried products but increased the rehydration capacity, nutrient retention, and porous microstructure. Interestingly, switching the order of combination drying provoked entirely different drying effects. Specifically, HD-VFD triggered negative effects on the shrinkage and color of dried mushrooms, and its appearance color was similar to HD-treated samples. Moreover, pre-cutting dramatically enhanced the protein content of HD-treated mushrooms, and the quarter-cut samples obtained the highest level (21.69 g kg-1 dry basis) among the three types of cutting. CONCLUSIONS: The dried L. edodes processed through pre-cutting and combination drying (VFD-HD) have optimal industrial quality, accompanied by shorter processing time. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identification and characterization of volatile compounds in Lentinula edodes during vacuum freeze-drying.

In this study, modified headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) were utilized to investigate the dynamic aroma changes of Lentinula edodes (L. edodes) at different stages of vacuum freeze drying (VFD). The extraction efficiency of volatile compounds from vacuum freeze-dried L. edodes was improved by optimizing five parameters of the HS-SPME. A total of 50 volatiles were identified in L. edodes from different VFD stages by GC-MS. Alcohols, aldehydes, and volatile sulfur-containing compounds (VSCs) were the main flavor constituents of fresh L. edodes, frozen L. edodes, and secondary dried L. edodes. Aldehydes, ketones, and VSCs were the main aroma groups in L. edodes after primary drying. There were 20 volatiles as key odorants with the odor activity values greater than 1, in which esters appeared only before secondary drying of L. edodes. These findings could contribute to a comprehensive insight into the formation mechanism of flavor in the VFD process of L. edodes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Lentinula edodes is the second most widely cultivated edible fungus worldwide. It is considered a valuable health food not just because of its abundance of nutrients but also because of its delicious taste. This study investigated the regularity regarding the changes of volatile compounds in L. edodes during vacuum freeze drying. The results of the present study offer valuable knowledge for the formation mechanism of volatile substances in the drying process of L. edodes, which can be beneficial to promote the development and utilization of flavor substances in L. edodes.