Effects of different lactic acid bacteria on volatile compounds in fermented mixed soy beverage

This study evaluated the impact of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation on the flavor of soy beverage using sensory analysis, electronic nose, and GC-MS/OAV techniques. LAB fermentation encreased sourness and aroma while eliminating beany off-flavors (hexanal, benzaldehyde) with 100% removal efficiency. Fermentation promoted beneficial aroma compounds like acetoin and esters. Electronic nose sensors (W1W, W5S, W1S, W2W) effectively distinguished samples. GC-MS identified 69 volatiles, with OPLS-DA revealing 16 key differential compounds (OAV > 1) correlated with sensory attributes. The mixed LAB consortium (grx90-grx16-grx08) produced optimal results, yielding the highest acetoin concentration (11.77 μg/L) and completely eliminating beany markers (hexanal, 1-hexanol, benzaldehyde). These results demonstrated the consortium’s capacity to improve palatability of plant-based beverages by reducing off-flavors and synthesizing desirable aromas. The findings provided valuable strain resources for developing premium fermented plant beverages with enhanced sensory profiles. • Fermentation can eliminate beany off-flavor compounds such as hexanal. • Fermentation increases the content of acids, ketones and esters. • LAB improve the taste and organoleptic properties of fermented soymilk.