Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum cofermentation on the flavor and taste characteristics of mango vinegar

Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) is generally used for malolactic fermentation during the alcoholic fermentation process of fruit wine, and significantly improves the color and flavor of fruit wine. However, studies on the influence of L. plantarum on the quality of fruit vinegar are rare. Therefore, the effects of L. plantarum 90 on the quality of mango vinegar (MV) at different fermentation stages were investigated. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) and sensory analysis were combined to analyze the effect of cofermentation of L. plantarum 90 on the flavor and taste characteristics of MV during alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation. The results showed that the use of L. plantarum 90 enhanced the contents of total titratable acid (TTA), vitamin C and other organic acids. Moreover, the relative content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in MV was affected by the use of L. plantarum 90. Thus, the cofermentation of L. plantarum 90 effectively improved the flavor and taste of MV, thereby indicating additional economic benefits of fermentation.