Work

Rice puffing pretreatment modulates fermentation behavior, volatilome remodeling, and Maillard-related color development in Huangjiu

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Huangjiu is a traditional Chinese fermented alcoholic beverage; however, how raw-material pretreatment influences fermentation behavior and flavor development remains insufficiently understood. Here, puffing pretreatment was incorporated into Huangjiu fermentation to evaluate its structural and chemical impacts under process-equivalent conditions. Puffing disrupted rice starch microstructure, consistent with increased substrate accessibility, and was associated with accelerated early-stage fermentation behavior and ethanol accumulation. HS-SPME-GC-MS identified 65 volatile compounds, among which 14 discriminant volatiles revealed reshaped aroma profiles compared with the conventional control. Untargeted LC–MS/MS metabolomics indicated clear metabolic divergence mainly related to pyruvate metabolism and arginine biosynthesis, suggesting pathway-level perturbations in central carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Puffed Huangjiu also exhibited deeper color development associated with shifts in Maillard reaction-related metabolites, particularly after thermal processing. Collectively, these findings indicate that puffing pretreatment modulates fermentation behavior and reshapes flavor-related chemistry in cereal-based fermented beverages.

Source: LWT

DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2026.119897