Ecological presence and functional role of bacteriophages in fermented vegetables

Fermented vegetables are widely favored by consumers for their distinctive flavors and nutritional value, with their quality attributes being closely associated with microbiome dynamics. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have revealed abundant bacteriophage resources within the fermented vegetable microbiome. These viral components significantly influence fermentation processes and product characteristics by modulating microbial community structure and function. However, research on optimizing vegetable fermentation processes through bacteriophage-mediated regulation remains in its nascent stage. This study systematically summarizes the compositional characteristics and dynamic patterns of microbial communities in fermented vegetables. We review the latest research progress on bacteriophage diversity and functional properties in fermented vegetables. Furthermore, by integrating multi-omics data, we provide insights into the complex interaction network among bacteriophages, host microbiota, and metabolic products. The results demonstrate that bacteriophages precisely regulate the fermentation process by mediating microbial community succession via lytic-lysogenic cycles and participating in the biosynthesis of key flavor compounds through encoded auxiliary metabolic genes. Finally, we sort out an integrated technical framework combining metagenomics and culturomics. This research provides novel insights into understanding the functional mechanisms of bacteriophages in fermented vegetables, offers a theoretical foundation for developing precision fermentation technologies based on bacteriophage regulation.