Metabolic Remodeling and Flavor Enhancement of Mulberry Juice Through Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation: A GC-IMS and Untargeted Metabolomics Approach

Fresh mulberry juice (MJ) faces industrial challenges due to its short shelf life and inconsis- tent flavor. This study innovatively addressed these limitations by applying L. plantarum (LP) and L. fermentum (LF) fermentation to MJ, combining non-targeted metabolomics and GC-IMS to systematically elucidate metabolic remodeling and flavor enhancement. Fermentation (36 h) achieved LAB counts > 7 log CFU/mL, significantly reducing soluble solids and pH from 15.00 to 13.90, 14.01 ◦Brix and 3.74 to...