The rapidly increasing demand for protein has led to the pursuit of new protein sources, among which microbial protein (MP) is one of the most promising. Although the nutritional properties of MP are important and often well-studied, the sensory properties of the microbial cells will in part determine the commercial success of the product and are much less investigated. Here we assessed the odor fingerprint of dried bacteria originating from pure cultures and enriched mixed microbial communities using an electronic nose (e-nose). The e-nose discriminated between the different MP sources, while the choice of culture and substrate substantially affected their volatile organic compound (VOC) profile. The most dominant odor descriptors (>20% of VOC peak area) were sweet, fruity and fishy, while the mixed cultures presented higher peak areas indicating potentially more intense aromas than the pure cultures. The e-nose can detect the suitability of new MP sources and determine their best end-use.

中文翻译：

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微生物和底物的类型决定了针对微生物蛋白质生产的干细菌的气味指纹

对蛋白质的快速增长的需求导致了对新蛋白质来源的追求，其中微生物蛋白质（MP）是最有前途的一种。尽管 MP 的营养特性很重要并且经常得到充分研究，但微生物细胞的感官特性将部分决定产品的商业成功，并且很少被研究。在这里，我们使用电子鼻 (e-nose) 评估了源自纯培养物和丰富的混合微生物群落的干细菌的气味指纹。电子鼻区分不同的 MP 来源，而培养物和底物的选择显着影响了它们的挥发性有机化合物 (VOC) 分布。最主要的气味描述符（> 20% 的 VOC 峰面积）是甜味、果味和鱼腥味，而混合培养物呈现出更高的峰面积，表明可能比纯培养物具有更强烈的香气。电子鼻可以检测新 MP 来源的适用性并确定其最佳最终用途。