Analysis of bacterial diversity during fermentation of Chinese traditional fermented chopped pepper

: Fermented chopped pepper is a widely used ingredient in traditional Chinese cuisine. To improve the quality and solve safety problems during production, it is essential to fully understand the bacterial diversity present during the fermentation process. In this study, the dynamics and diversity of the bacterial community present during the fermentation of chopped pepper were analysed by high-throughput sequencing. There was a higher level of bacterial diversity at the beginning of fermentation, and Proteobacteria were found to be the dominant group at this stage. However, after 3 days, Proteobacteria decreased in abundance and Firmicutes became the dominant group present in the samples. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Weissella increased during the first 3 days of fermentation and then gradually decreased over the rest of the fermentation process, suggesting that Weissella may play an important role during the initial stage of fermentation. Lactobacillus was found to constitute the majority of bacteria during the fermentation period. This study demonstrates that high-throughput sequencing is a useful tool to evaluate bacterial diversity and monitor microbial quality in fermented chopped pepper. The results obtained in this study advance the current understanding of the bacterial communities present in chopped pepper and provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality of chopped pepper fermentation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Fermented chopped pepper is an important ingredient in traditional Chinese foods. As of yet, the bacterial community dynamics that take place during the fermentation of chopped pepper have not been described. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the bacterial community, deepening our understanding of the microbial mechanisms underlying the fermentation of traditional chopped pepper.