ISBN 9783843956994

978-3-8439-5699-4, Reihe Lebensmitteltechnologie

Felix Dominik Stöppelmann
Meat-like aroma generation by Basidiomycota-driven fermentation of Allium species with a focus on onion (Allium cepa L.)

107 Seiten, Dissertation Universität Hohenheim Stuttgart-Hohenheim (2025), Softcover, A5

Zusammenfassung / Abstract

Plant-based meat alternatives often lack the characterstic aroma of cooked meat, largely due to the complexity of Maillard reactions and the limited availability of key precursors in plant proteins.

This study investigated a biotechnological approach to generate authentic meat-like flavors through Basidiomycota-mediated fermentation of natural substrates. Screening revealed that Allium substrates generated meat-like odor impressions. Notably, Polyporus umbellatus fermentation of onion generated distinct liver sausage- and meat-like aromas. Aroma decoding identified a key meat aroma compound, bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide. Laetiporus sulphureus-mediated fermentation of onion shifted the roasted onion-like aroma towards fatty, patt-, and meat-like odor impressions. Aroma analysis and feeding experiments revealed (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal as the key aroma compound and linoleic acid as its respective precursor. Scaling up the fermentation preserved aroma quality, indicating its industrial potential. Cytotoxicity testing confirmed the safety of the fermented medium, and application experiments in pea protein patties demonstrated significant improvements in meat-like odor. These findings establish Basidiomycota-driven fermentation of Allium species as a promising clean-label approach for generating natural meat-like flavors in plant-based meat alternatives, providing a foundation for future commercialization.