Abstract:To contribute to a better understanding of the effects of fermentation of Lactobacillus plantarum on the low-molecular-weight nutrient composition of Exopalaemon carinicauda, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis were used to investigate the metabolite variations of aquatic methanol extracts of E. carinicauda muscles before and after fermentation. The results showed that fermentation of L. plantarum caused a significant decline in the levels of fumarate, tyrosine, phenylalanine, histidine, inosine triphosphate, adenosine 3‘,5‘-diphosphate, 2-pyridinemethanol, and trigonelline, coupled with a significant increase in the levels of lactate, β-OH-isobutyrate, choline, and hypoxanthine in the shrimp muscle. These differences indicated that the fermentation of L. plantarum had an important effect on the nutrient composition and flavor of E. carinicauda. These findings demonstrated that NMR-based metabolomics is a powerful tool in the assessment of food quality.