Kombucha - An ancient fermented beverage with desired bioactivities: A narrowed review.
Food Chem X 2022;
14:100302. [PMID:
35434600 PMCID:
PMC9011011 DOI:
10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100302]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Kombucha is a fermented beverage usually prepared with black or green tea.
Fermentation is caused by SCOBY that is biofilm made of bacteria and yeasts.
It is quite rich in tea catechins, flavonoids, and other polyphenols.
Fermentation conditions, i.e. pH, duration, sugar rate, cause variation.
The main acidic compound is acetic acid in kombucha.
Kombucha, originated in China 2000 years ago, is a sour and sweet-tasted drink, prepared traditionally through fermentation of black tea. During the fermentation of kombucha, consisting of mainly acidic compounds, microorganisms, and a tiny amount of alcohol, a biofilm called SCOBY forms. The bacteria in kombucha has been generally identified as Acetobacteraceae. Kombucha is a noteworthy source of B complex vitamins, polyphenols, and organic acids (mainly acetic acid). Nowadays, kombucha is tended to be prepared with some other plant species, which, therefore, lead to variations in its composition. Pre-clinical studies conducted on kombucha revealed that it has desired bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholestorelomic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, etc. Only a few clinical studies have been also reported. In the current review, we aimed to overhaul pre-clinical bioactivities reported on kombucha as well as its brief compositional chemistry. The literature data indicate that kombucha has valuable biological effects on human health.
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