Profiling the effects of starter cultures on biochemical compounds in fermented fish sauces and their relationships with sensory perceptions

Abstract

In this study, the effect of Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum XL23 (Lp) and Saccharomyces (S.) cerevisiae RC212 (Sc) on flavour formation in fermented fish sauce production was investigated. The levels of, and relationship between, non-volatile and volatile compounds responsible for taste and aroma were determined in fish sauce samples. Regarding non-volatiles, the results showed that free amino acids and organic acids were significantly higher in Lp and Lp + Sc compared to traditional fish sauce. In fatty acids, there was an irregular distribution between the groups. In terms of volatile compounds, L. plantarum supported the presence of acidic compounds (1413.31 ng mL⁻¹), while S. cerevisiae supported the presence of alcoholic compounds at high levels (3891.56 ng mL⁻¹). Significant correlations between components proved the accuracy of analytical and sensory analyses and demonstrated the reliability of multi-replicate statistical interactions. The results indicated that inoculation with starter cultures changed the taste and aroma in favour of the strains.