Application of a native Weissella starter to modulate the microbiome, metabolome, and quality characteristics of fermented Ma bamboo shoots.

Spontaneous fermentation of bamboo shoots often leads to unstable quality and safety risks, such as nitrite accumulation. To solve this problem, two native Weissella strains (N2-1 and N2-2) with fast acid-producing and nitrite-degrading abilities were isolated from traditionally fermented Ma bamboo shoots. This study evaluated their use as a starter culture. High-throughput sequencing showed that inoculation quickly changed the microbial community. Weissella became the dominant genus, while the diversity of other bacteria and fungi decreased. In addition, metabolomics analysis revealed major changes in the metabolites. The Weissella fermentation increased umami-related nucleotides (adenine and adenosine) and flavor volatiles, while speeding up the breakdown of bitter phenolics and dipeptides. These chemical changes improved the texture: both raw and cooked bamboo shoots showed higher chewiness and cohesiveness, and lower hardness. Correlation analysis confirmed that the dominance of Weissella was closely linked to these positive changes. In conclusion, using this native Weissella starter is a practical way to standardize the safety, microbial stability, and sensory quality of fermented bamboo shoots.