Exploring the Impact of Dinotefuran Residue on Microbial Community and Flavor Generation in <i>Huangjiu</i> Fermentation

Pesticide residues create food safety hazards while negatively affecting the quality of fermented foods, but the mechanisms of the deterioration response have been a mystery. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and metagenomics sequencing analyses were employed to investigate the effect of dinotefuran residue on the aroma profile and microbial community of <i>Huangjiu</i>. The presence of dinotefuran led to a reduction in the overall concentration of volatile compounds, and some floral, fruity, and sweet aromas such as piperitenol, citronellyl isobutyrate, and trans-2-decenal were no longer detected. Meanwhile, the levels of certain acidic volatiles, including formic acid, propionic acid, and heptanoic acid, increased and contributed to off-flavors. Dinotefuran affected the <i>Huangjiu</i> flavor by modifying the abundance and structure of key genera such as <i>Saccharomyces</i>, <i>Lactococcus</i>, and <i>Cyberlindnera</i>. These changes were associated with disturbances in 16 KEGG tertiary metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis. These results provided some reference for further studies on how pesticide residues affect the flavor and microbial characteristics of traditional fermented beverages like <i>Huangjiu</i>.