RESUMO
Zhenjiang vinegar, the grains of which contain a unique microbial flora, is one of the four famous traditional Chinese vinegars. We investigated the components of Zhenjiang vinegar grains. Unique acetic acid bacteria were randomly isolated from Zhenjiang vinegar grains, and the obtained strains were qualitatively analyzed to compare their capacities for acetate decomposition and acid production. Acetic acid bacteria with a high acid-producing rate were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing, and further confirmation was performed using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool comparison method. Six significant strains of acetic acid bacteria were isolated. Qualitative analysis showed that these strains produced no brown precipitate and had a capacity for acetate decomposition. Based on physiological and biochemical evaluation, the two strains with the highest acid yield were sequenced, and the results identified strain W1 as Acetobacter aceti and strain W6 as A. pasteurianus.