Table 1_Unraveling the microbiome–aroma Nexus: a metagenomic and volatile compound analysis of Yunnan cigars.docx

IntroductionUnderstanding how microbial communities influence aroma profiles is critical to improving cigar quality. However, comparative studies examining the microbiome–aroma nexus across major cigar-producing regions remain limited.
MethodsWe integrated high-throughput metagenomic sequencing with volatile organic compound (VOC) profiling to investigate microbial community structure and aroma compounds in four Yunnan cigars and two Cuban cigars.
ResultsBacillus spp. was consistently dominant across all samples, while Yunnan cigars exhibited higher microbial diversity. A total of 121 VOCs were detected, with nicotine, ylangene, δ-elemene, (R,S)-anatabine, and phenethyl alcohol identified as key aroma components. Nicotine, accounting for 29.7–55.0% of total VOC content, was positively correlated with Enterobacter and Escherichia, and negatively with Corynebacterium and Brachybacterium. Ylangene showed strong positive associations with Brachybacterium and Yaniella. After FDR correction, 26 differential VOCs were identified across cigar groups. KEGG pathway analysis revealed functional enrichment in carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. Principal component analysis indicated that the aroma complexity of certain Yunnan cigars, particularly YX4, approached that of Cuban cigars.
DiscussionOur findings demonstrate that region-specific fermentation microbiota are intricately linked to the production of key VOCs. This work provides a scientific framework for optimizing cigar fermentation through microbial regulation and supports the potential for targeted microbial inoculation to enhance sensory quality and global competitiveness.

引言：阐明微生物群落如何影响雪茄香气特征谱，对提升雪茄品质至关重要。然而，针对全球主要雪茄产区的微生物组与香气关联开展的比较研究仍较为匮乏。
研究方法：本研究将高通量宏基因组测序与挥发性有机化合物（volatile organic compound, VOC）谱分析相结合，针对4份云南雪茄与2份古巴雪茄的微生物群落结构及香气成分开展研究。
研究结果：所有样本中芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus spp.）物种均为优势菌群，而云南雪茄的微生物群落多样性更高。本研究共检测到121种VOC，其中尼古丁、依兰烯（ylangene）、δ-榄香烯（δ-elemene）、(R,S)-毒藜碱（(R,S)-anatabine）与苯乙醇被鉴定为关键香气成分。占VOC总含量29.7%~55.0%的尼古丁，与肠杆菌属（Enterobacter）、埃希氏菌属（Escherichia）呈正相关，而与棒状杆菌属（Corynebacterium）、短杆菌属（Brachybacterium）呈负相关。依兰烯则与短杆菌属及亚尼菌属（Yaniella）呈显著正相关。经错误发现率（False Discovery Rate, FDR）校正后，不同雪茄组别间共鉴定出26种差异VOC。京都基因与基因组百科全书（Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, KEGG）通路分析显示，样本在碳水化合物、氨基酸与脂质代谢通路中存在功能富集。主成分分析（Principal Component Analysis, PCA）结果显示，部分云南雪茄（尤以YX4为例）的香气复杂度已接近古巴雪茄。
讨论：本研究结果表明，产区特异性发酵微生物群与关键VOC的生成存在复杂关联。本研究为通过微生物调控优化雪茄发酵工艺提供了科学框架，并证实通过靶向微生物接种提升雪茄感官品质与全球市场竞争力具备可行性。