Synergistic effects of Lactobacillus and yeast co-fermentation on flavor development, microbial dynamics, and quality attributes of fermented chicken meat

Microbial metabolism affects the physicochemical properties and the formation of flavor compounds in fermented chicken during the fermentation process. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Lactobacillus strains on the characteristics of fermented chicken meat, focusing on changes in texture, color, E-nose aroma, malondialdehyde content and sensory qualities, as well as on the fermentation characteristics, modulation of microstructure, microbial community and flavor compounds by mixed fermentation. The results showed that inoculation with Latilactobacillus sakei YZ-2 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum FY-1 significantly enhanced sensory scores (e.g., overall acceptance scores increased from 7.68 to 7.75) and up-regulated volatile flavor compounds (e.g., 2-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidine, variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1.0, P < 0.05). High-throughput sequencing revealed that mixed fermentation (Yeast + YZ-2 + FY-1) significantly reshaped the microbial community structure, leading to a marked increase in the abundance of Lactobacillus, which became the dominant genus and was strongly correlated with the formation of key flavor compounds. Mixed fermentation promoted ester synthesis through the amino acid metabolic pathway and enhanced flavor complexity, but resulted in a loosening of myofibril structure; whereas yeast fermentation maintained a tight arrangement of myofibrils. The study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing the fermentation process.