Microbial and metabolic changes during the fermentation process of tobacco leaves filled in different parts

Filled tobacco leaves (FTL) are the main raw material in cigar production. Different parts of the filled tobacco leaves exhibit significant differences in physical and chemical properties as well as fermentation reactivity. However, the intrinsic mechanisms of microbial and metabolic evolution during the fermentation process of filled tobacco leaves remain poorly understood. This study systematically investigated the microbial community structure and metabolic profile of different parts of filled tobacco leaves before and after fermentation through metagenomic sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics methods.