Probiotics fermentation improves physicochemical properties, bioactivity, and flavor quality of malus toringoides fruit juice

Malus toringoides (Rehd) Hughes (MT) is a promising resource for developing prebiotic beverages due to its numerous health benefits. This study investigates the volatile flavor compounds and sensory attributes of MT fermented with various probiotics ( Zygosaccharomyces rouxii , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Lactiplantibacillus plantarum , Lacticaseibacillus paracasei ) by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and electronic sensory evaluation methods. In addition, the changes of physicochemical characteristics, functional components in MT were determined, and the antioxidant activity was evaluated. HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS revealed a significant enhancement in both the diversity and concentration of volatile compounds following fermentation, especially aromatic compounds such as alcohols and esters. The combination of PLS-DA and VIP analysis further screened the differential compounds in different probiotics-fermented MT. The total flavonoids and phlorizin were increased after fermented, which significantly improved the antioxidant activity of MT. Additionally, following fermentation, there were alterations in both the quantity and variety of organic acids; lactic acid saw the most significant increase (3.49–5.52 mg/mL), while malic acid experienced a reducti on of nearly 50 %. The sensory evaluation revealed that the results of sensory evaluation showed that MT was better in aroma and overall acceptability after Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation, while fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei were more favored in taste. These findings suggest that probiotics fermentation effectively enhances the flavor quality and biological activity of MT, indicating its potential for market viability. • Probiotic fermentation can enhance the flavor of Malus toringoides (MT). • The bioactivity of MT was improved after fermentation. • L. paracasei and L. plantarum were improvement of MT bitter taste. • The work can provide insights for the development of MT beverage products.