Kombucha

The most common skin diseases include eczema, psoriasis, acne, and fungal infections. There is often no effective cure for them. Increasing antimicrobial drug resistance prompts us to search for new, safe, and effective therapeutics. Among such interesting candidates are peptides derived from milk fermented with specific lactic acid bacteria or with kombucha cultures, which are a potential treasure trove of bioactive peptides. Four of them are discussed in this article. Their interactions with zinc and copper ions, which are known to improve the well-being of the skin, were characterized by potentiometry, MS, ITC, and spectroscopic methods, and their cytostatic potential was analyzed...

The utilization of coffee leaves in kombucha production has intrigued researchers; however, the lack of understanding regarding the characteristics of coffee leaf kombucha (CK) and its differentiation from black tea kombucha (BK) has impeded its application in the beverage industry. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize and compare the physiochemical properties, phytochemical compositions, antioxidant activity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory ability of kombucha prepared from the leaves of Coffea arabica (CK) and black tea (Camellia sinensis, BK) and their extracts (CT and BT)...

In the current contribution, bacterial nanocellulose obtained from a by-product of Kombucha tea production and vegetal nanocellulose isolated from milled rice husks were employed as fillers of PLA-based composites prepared by intensive mixing followed by compression molding. Given the challenges associated with the incorporation of nanocelluloses-initially obtained as aqueous suspensions-into melt compounding processes, and also with achieving a proper dispersion of the hydrophilic nanofillers within PLA, three different nanofibrils incorporation strategies were studied: i...

Kombucha is a unique fermented beverage made from a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. Kombucha is normally based on black tea added to water, then sugar is added as a substrate for fermentation in this beverage. This unique beverage is composed of amino acids, flavonoids, vitamins, and some active enzymes. Several beneficial health effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial effects have been reported as a result of probiotics and prebiotics presence. These health effects of kombucha are attributed to its bioactive chemical and biological agents of probiotics bacteria e...

Kombucha is created through the fermentation of Camellia sinensis tea leaves, along with sucrose, utilizing a symbiotic consortium of bacteria and yeast cultures. Nonetheless, there exists a dearth of comprehensive information regarding the spectrum of metabolites that constitute this beverage. To explore this intricate system, metabolomics was used to investigate fermentation kinetics of Kombucha. For that, an experimental framework was devised to assess the impact of varying sucrose concentrations and fermentation temperatures over a ten-day period of kombucha fermentation...

It is crucial to clarify the stability of Kombucha in the manufacture and storage stages due to the extensive study on the fermented products of Kombucha and the increase in the use of bacterial cellulose (BC). This study aimed to evaluate the stability of Kombucha in different manufacturing and storage temperatures within a certain time period. The stability of microorganisms and BC in Kombucha was investigated through regular replacement with the tea media at 28 and 25°C for manufacture, and the storage temperature of Kombucha was at 25, 4, and -20°C...

Kombucha is prepared by fermenting sugared green or black tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). Some of the bacteria within the SCOBY are known to form exopolysaccharides (EPS) from sucrose. However, it is yet unknown whether EPS are formed in kombucha, and if so, which specific EPS are present. Therefore, different kombucha samples were prepared by fermentation of green and black tea with SCOBYs from different manufacturers. Subsequently, the EPS were isolated and characterized by using various chromatographic methods, partial enzymatic hydrolyses and NMR spectroscopy...

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an emerging material for high-end applications due to its biocompatibility and physicochemical characteristics. However, the scale-up production of this material is still expensive, with the culture medium constituting one-third of the total cost. Herein, four different media (yeast nitrogen base, YNB; Murashige and Skoog, MSO; black tea; and NPK fertilizer solution) were compared while using sucrose as an additional carbon source. The yields of BC were best for YNB and fertilizer with 0...

The popularity of the ancient, probiotic-rich beverage Kombucha Tea (KT) has surged in part due to its purported health benefits, which include protection against metabolic diseases; however, these claims have not been rigorously tested and the mechanisms underlying host response to the probiotics in KT are unknown. Here, we establish a reproducible method to maintain C. elegans on a diet exclusively consisting of Kombucha Tea-associated microbes (KTM), which mirrors the microbial community found in the fermenting culture...

Food is an integral part of our civilization. It is a cultural phenomenon that, while having evolved, is associated with societal traditions and identity. This work analyzes studies conducted to highlight the health properties of the most common ethnic foods. Although these foods were originally created from the need to preserve perishable produce, presently, we know that the fermentation process makes them nutritionally more complete. The basis of these transformations lies in that vast range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms that, similar to small biochemical factories, can transform the initial nutrients into metabolically more active biomolecules through fermentation...

Beer has over 600 flavor compounds and creates a positive tasting experience with acceptable sensory properties, which are essential for the best consumer experience. Spontaneous and mixed-culture fermentation beers, generally classified as sour beers, are gaining popularity compared to typical lager or ale styles, which have dominated in the USA for the last few decades. Unique and acceptable flavor compounds characterize sour beers, but some unfavorable aspects appear in conjunction. One such unfavorable flavor is called "mousy"...

The current study investigated the in vitro probiotic potential of yeast isolated from kombucha, a tea beverage fermented with a symbiotic culture of acetic acid bacteria and yeast. A total of 62 yeast strains were previously isolated from four different commercial kombucha samples sold in New Zealand. Fifteen representative isolates belonging to eight different species were evaluated for their growth under different conditions (temperature, low pH, concentrations of bile salts, and NaCl). Cell surface characteristics, functional and enzymatic activities of the selected strains were also studied in triplicate experiments...

Kombucha is a non-alcoholic beverage, that is increasingly used in the cosmetic industry. The available literature reports the positive effects of kombucha on the skin, in particular its antioxidant action. However, there is a lack of information on skin permeation and the accumulation of active ingredients showing such effects. Skin aging is largely dependent on oxidative stress, therefore in our study we assessed the ex vivo permeation of two types of kombucha (green and black tea) through porcine skin. The antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP methods) and total polyphenol content of these extracts were determined before and after permeation testing...

Microbial consortia are important for the fermentation of foods. They bring combined functionalities to the fermented product, but stability and product consistency of fermentations with complex consortia can be hard to control. Some of these consortia, such as water- and milk-kefir and kombucha, grow as multispecies aggregates or biofilms, in which micro-organisms taking part in a fermentation cascade are spatially organized. The spatial organization of micro-organisms in these aggregates can impact what metabolic interactions are realized in the consortia, ultimately affecting the growth dynamics and evolution of microbes...

Kombucha consumption has grown rapidly worldwide in the last decade, with production at both small- and large scales. The complex fermentation process involves both bacterial and yeast species, but little is known regarding the progression of microbial development during production. We explored the microbial diversity of multiple batches across two kombucha types, i. e commercial scale versus laboratory-made (hereafter "home") kombucha brew using metabarcoding to characterize both fungal and bacterial communities...

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a highly pure polysaccharide biopolymer that can be produced by various bacterial genera. Even though BC lacks functional properties, its porosity, three-dimensional network, and high specific surface area make it a suitable carrier for functional composite materials. In the present study, BC-producing bacteria were isolated from kombucha beverage and identified using a molecular method. Two sets of the BC hydrogels were produced in static conditions after four and seven days. Afterwards, two different synthesis pathways were applied for BC functionalization...

In this study, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model is used to solve the complex task of producing fresh cheese with the desired quality parameters. The study focuses on kombucha fresh cheese samples fortified with ground wild thyme, supercritical fluid extract of wild thyme, ground sage and supercritical fluid extract of sage and optimizes the parameters of chemical composition, antioxidant potential and microbiological profile. The ANN models demonstrate robust generalization capabilities and accurately predict the observed results based on the input parameters...

Kombucha, a fermented beverage, is gaining popularity due to its numerous beneficial health effects. Various substrates such as herbs, fruits, flowers, and vegetables, have been used for kombucha fermentation in order to enhance the flavor, aroma, and nutritional composition. This study aims to investigate the potential suitability of cascara as a novel ingredient for kombucha production. Our findings suggested that cascara is a suitable substrate for kombucha production. Fermentation elevated the total phenolic and flavonoid content in cascara, which enhanced the antioxidant, antibacterial, and prebiotic characteristics of the product...

Oenococcus oeni is the lactic acid bacteria most suited to carry out malolactic fermentation in wine, converting L-malic acid into L-lactic acid and carbon dioxide, thereby deacidifying wines. Indeed, wine is a harsh environment for microbial growth, partly because of its low pH. By metabolizing citrate, O. oeni maintains its homeostasis under acid conditions. Indeed, citrate consumption activates the proton motive force, helps to maintain intracellular pH, and enhances bacterial growth when it is co-metabolized with sugars...

Kombucha is a fermented beverage traditionally made from the leaves of Camelia sinensis . The market has drastically expanded recently, and the beverage has become more elaborated with new, healthy food materials and flavors. Pruning and harvesting during coffee production may generate tons of coffee leaves that are discarded although they contain substantial amounts of bioactive compounds, including those found in maté tea and coffee seeds. This study characterized the changes in volatilome, microbial, and sensory profiles of pure and blended arabica coffee leaf tea kombuchas between 3-9 days of fermentation...