Technological and safety characterization of Staphylococcus saprophyticus NHY-25 isolates from high-temperature Daqu, a starter of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu
摘要
Daqu is critical for Baijiu quality, and bioaugmentation is an effective strategy for improving its properties. Although Staphylococcus is a dominant bacterial genus in high-temperature Daqu, its diversity and functional roles remain poorly understood. In this study, 35 Staphylococcus strains spanning nine species were isolated from high-temperature Daqu, and 31 strains tested negative for coagulase, hemolytic, and amino acid decarboxylase activities. Five strains exhibited high protease and/or lipase activities, among which S. saprophyticus NHY-25 produced the highest levels of total flavor (4959.79 ± 732.01 μg/L) and acetoin (1244.32 ± 242.06 μg/L). NHY-25 also demonstrated tolerance to high temperature, acidity, and ethanol, without detectable antibiotic resistance. Whole-genome sequencing revealed complete biosynthetic pathways for acetoin, 2,3-butanediol, and tetramethylpyrazine, while genomic safety assessment identified no virulence genes and only a few intrinsic antibiotic resistance genes (alrR, norA, mgrA, gyrA). These findings support the potential application of S. saprophyticus NHY-25 for Daqu quality improvement.