Cherry microbiota and metabolites with planting altitude of Coffea arabica in Baoshan of China

The planting altitude of coffee is one of the important influencing factors on coffee quality. The effects of four planting altitudes (1,000 m, AT1; 1,200 m, AT2; 1,400 m, AT3; and 1,600 m, AT4) on the microorganism community and the related metabolites in Coffea arabica cherries were investigated using Illumina-based amplicon sequencing and UPLC-MS/MS technologies, respectively. At tha same time, the contents of main flavor precursor substances (caffeine, trigonelline and chlorogenic acid) were analyzed using HPLC method. The results showed that planting altitude can significant influence the microbiomes’ characteristics and endogenous metabolites of coffee. The dominant bacterial genera, Sphingomonas and Pleomorphomonas were significant differences in four planting altitudes, with the maximum relative abundance in AT3. Cladosporium and Strelitziana were the dominant fungal genera, while Vishniacozyma and Setophoma were also important in AT1, Setophoma and Didymella in AT3. 22 (AT2 vs. AT1), 68 (AT3 vs. AT1), 38 (AT3 vs. AT2), 77 (AT4 vs. AT1), 57 (AT4 vs. AT2), and 116 (AT4 vs. AT3) differentially changed metabolites were found between different planting altitudes, respectively. Moreover, caffeine, trigonelline and chlorogenic acid content was the decreas with planting altitude increased. These changes with planting altitude indicted a potential chance to find more fermentation microorganisms.