ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of microwave treatment (MT) of raw large yellow croaker on the physicochemical characteristics, flavor substances, and microbial composition on large yellow croaker sauce (LYCS) during fermentation. MT was associated with increased total acid (TA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptide contents, promoted the accumulation of umami amino acids, and reduced bitterness. Furthermore, microwave pretreatment seemingly accelerated the stabilization of volatile components by fermentation day 6 and was associated with the absence of certain volatiles (e.g., methional and heptanal) that were detected in untreated samples on day 8. In microbial communities, MT was correlated with elevated relative abundance and predominance of Lactobacillus (which showed positive correlation with multiple LYCS physicochemical indices). Consequently, these observed differences in physicochemical and volatile profiles indicate the promising potential of microwave pretreatment in optimizing LYCS fermentation performance.
Zhang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.