This study employed metagenomics, flavoromics, and physicochemical analysis to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of different types of mother Daqu on fungal community succession, functional gene expression, and volatile compound dynamics during the fermentation of Daqu. The types of mother Daqu significantly affected the successional trajectory and stability of the fungal community. Specifically, mother Daqu for yellow Daqu maintained a stable consortium dominated by Aspergillus, Ramsonia, and Talaromyces, resulting in high community homogeneity. In contrast, mother Daqu for black and white Daqu showed significant fungal community shifts. Furthermore, both the abundance and taxonomic origin of the functional genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy) and key flavor compounds (pyrazines and phenylethanol) were mother Daqu-specific. Random forest modeling pinpointed moisture as an important physicochemical factor influencing the fungal community. Path analysis further delineated the relationship of core fungi with key physicochemical factors and volatile substances. Our findings demonstrate that specific microbial consortia in mother Daqu drive fungal succession and metabolic functional differentiation, which in turn influence Daqu quality. This work provides a practical foundation for optimizing the fermentation process and selecting excellent mother Daqu.

In order to obtain insights into the fermentation mechanism of Nongxiangxing Baijiu, this study employed metagenomics to analyze the dynamic succession and functional characteristics of the microbial community in the fermented grains (Jiupei). Results showed that microbial richness and diversity peaked on day 6 of fermentation and then gradually declined. The community structure exhibited clear temporal succession, divided into three stages: early (0-12 days), middle (18-24 days), and late (30-45 days). In the late stage, Acetilactobacillus became the dominant bacterial genus, with a relative abundance exceeding 92%. The abundance of Maudiozyma increased significantly as fermentation progressed. CAZy annotation revealed that glycoside hydrolase (GH) genes were the most abundant. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated broad microbial involvement in key metabolic pathways such as glycolysis, ethanol synthesis, acid metabolism, and ester synthesis. Pantoea, Bacillus, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and Acetilactobacillus were identified as core functional contributors. Using metagenomics, this study systematically reveals the stage-specific succession patterns and metabolic foundations of the microbial community in Nongxiangxing Baijiu Jiupei. These findings provide a theoretical basis and data support for optimizing the production process and improving the quality of Baijiu.

Cordycepin, a food-derived bioactive nucleoside from Cordyceps exhibits anti-aging properties, yet its mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans remain unclear. We demonstrate that cordycepin (0.1–0.5 mg/mL) extended lifespan by 10-12% under both normal and heat-stress conditions while improving multiple healthspan parameters without reproductive tradeoffs. Integrative analysis combining network pharmacology, multi-omics profiling, and genetic validation identified the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway as a central mediator. Network pharmacology and molecular docking implicated an IIS-associated upstream node, with IGF-1R/DAF-2 emerging as a computationally prioritized candidate, while functional assays showed that cordycepin promotes DAF-16 nuclear enrichment and requires DAF-16 to extend lifespan. Transcriptomic analysis identified 3,755 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched in FOXO signaling, autophagy, and stress response pathways, with Weighted correlation network analysis identifying 15 hub genes linked to longevity traits. Metabolomics detected 267 differentially expressed metabolites, highlighting enhanced glutathione-mediated antioxidant defense and remodeling of lipid metabolism centered on glycerol-3-phosphate, a membrane phospholipid precursor. Microbiome analysis showed selective enrichment of Bacillus spp. with positive lifespan correlation. Multi-omics integration revealed that cordycepin-mediated DAF-16 activation coordinates transcriptional reprogramming, metabolic homeostasis, and potential microbiome modulation through the conserved IIS/FOXO axis. This study supports cordycepin as a promising pro-longevity bioactive that functionally converges on evolutionarily conserved longevity pathways, while direct upstream target engagement remains to be established.

This study investigated the effects of the intrinsic properties of sorghum for Baijiu production on its hydration process in order to enable prediction of the moisture content of different varieties of sorghum during soaking. The physicochemical properties of 23 cultivars of Baijiu sorghum were measured, and the kinetic process of their hydration was analyzed upon soaking at a constant temperature of 40 ℃. Besides, the correlation between the hydration kinetics characteristics (initial hydration rate and equilibrium moisture content) and physicochemical properties of sorghum (seed coat thickness, hardness, specific surface area, protein, fat, tannin, starch, amylose, amylopectin) was analyzed. It was found that the hydration kinetics characteristics of sorghum were correlated with the specific surface area, hardness, fat, tannin, amylose and amylopectin. A backward propagation (BP) neural network model with 10 nodes in the hidden layer was established using the hardness, specific surface area, fat, tannin, amylose, soaking time and initial moisture content as the input layer, and the moisture content of sorghum as the output layer. Using the Levenberg-Marquardt (L-M) algorithm as the training function and tansig-purelin as the network transfer function, the BP neural network model was obtained after finite training. The correlation coefficient (r) between the predicted and the experimental values of the moisture content was 0.99, and the mean square error (MSE) was 0.02. This BP neural network model was capable of predicting the moisture content in different varieties of Baijiu sorghum during the soaking process. This research provides a theoretical foundation and technical support for the further development and precise control of the soaking process.