Dynamics and correlation of flavor compounds and bacterial communities in mustard (

Mustard and wild jujube are highly distinctive agricultural products, with mustard being widely used in northern China for preparing pickled vegetables. However, the potential of their co-fermentation to develop novel food products with enhanced flavor and quality remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, and the structural dynamics and interactions of microbial communities during the mixed fermentation of mustard and wild jujube powder. The fermentation process was monitored for changes in pH, total titratable acidity, and nitrite content. Volatile compounds were analyzed to identify key flavor components, while high-throughput sequencing was employed to track microbial community succession. Correlation analysis was subsequently used to examine associations between environmental factors, bacterial dynamics, and flavor formation. The results indicated that mixed-fermented mustard exhibited a faster pH decline, increased total titratable acidity, and lower nitrite content during fermentation. Flavor analysis revealed that co-fermentation reduced the sulfur compound content by 28%. Thirteen key volatile compounds were identified throughout fermentation. At the phylum level, the dominant microbial community shifted from Proteobacteria in the early stages to Firmicutes in later stages. At the genus level, the abundance of