The role of coagulase-negative staphylococci on aroma generation of fermented sausage

Fermented sausages are popular meat products with many different varieties. The aroma of fermented sausages depends on the metabolic activities of microbiota, mainly involving lactic acid bacteria and catalase-positive cocci, the group of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) in particular. Regarding staphylococci, this work elucidated their generation of aroma precursors from hydrolase, metabolic activities contributing to aroma development, antioxidant effects that improve aroma via preventing excessive lipid oxidation. The metabolic pathways of staphylococci that play a role in aroma formation involve carbohydrate fermentation, amino acid degradation, fatty acid β-oxidation, and esterase activities. Their antioxidant activities are associated with superoxidase dismutase and catalase activities, as well as the production of antioxidant peptides. Processing conditions may influence CNS communities and affect aroma characteristics of fermented sausages. Implementation of genome sequencing and editing to select and customize CNS with specific biosynthetic metabolic pathways was proposed forward, offering a great potential for enhancing aroma development during sausage fermentation.

This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Innovation Team for Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Research in Southwest Minzu University (2024CXTD12), The Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2022JDTD0030), McGill University, and Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 for Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa CEX2021–001189-S.

With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2021–001189-S)

Peer reviewed