Exploring the bacterial community for starters in traditional high-salt fermented Chinese fish (Suanyu).

Traditional high-salt fermented Suanyu is an ethnic fermented fish product in southwest China. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the most appropriate strains because of their technological properties during ripening fermentation. The diversity of LAB in high-salt fermented Chinese Suanyu was examined through high-throughput sequencing (HTS), and the most suitable LAB strain was acquired through strain isolation and characterization, surimi simulation fermentation system, and principal component analysis (PCA). The processing adaptability of the strain was examined via Suanyu fermentation. Results showed that Lactobacillus, Tetragenococcus, and Weissella were the dominant bacteria in Suanyu, and their contributions were 53.99%, 35.60%, and 4.10%, respectively. The most suitable strain (Lactobacillus plantarum B7) rapidly produced acid, exhibited a strong antibacterial activity, showed salt tolerance, and had no amino acid decarboxylase activity. pH decreased to about 3.6. Eventually, the ability to tolerate 20% salt was observed, and the activity of amino acid decarboxylase was negative. Fermented Suanyu with B7 rapidly produced acid (11.7% d). The non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and total free amino acid (FAA) contents of fermented Suanyu were higher and its total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), and biogenic amines (BAs) levels were lower than those of naturally fermented Suanyu. Therefore, B7 is a potential microbial starter for Suanyu industrial production.