Microbial Diversity and Characteristics of Kombucha as Revealed by Metagenomic and Physicochemical Analysis

Abstract

Kombucha is a fermented tea made from a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) with a long history of use as a health tonic. It is likely that most health benefits come from the tea and fermentation metabolites from specific microbial communities. Despite its growing importance as a functional health drink, the microbial ecosystem present in kombucha has not been fully documented. To characterize the microbial composition and biochemical properties of ‘The Good Brew’ original base kombucha, we used metagenomics amplicon (16S rRNA and ITS) sequencing to identify the microbial communities at the taxonomic level. We identified 34 genera with 200 microbial species yet described in kombucha. The dominance of organic acid producing microorganisms Acetobacter, Komagataeibacter and Starmerella are healthy for the human gut and their glucose metabolising activities have a putative role in preventing conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Kombucha contains high protein (3.31 µg/mL), high phenolic content (290.4 mg/100 mL) and low sugars (glucose: 1.87 g/L; sucrose 1.11 g/L; fructose: 0.05 g/L) as compared to green tea. The broad microbial diversity with proven health benefits for the human gut suggests kombucha is a powerful probiotic. These findings are important to improve the commercial value of kombucha and uncover the immense prospects for health benefits.

The microbial composition and functional roles of different kombucha products in Singapore

“…Consistent with other parallel kombucha studies, Komagateibacter saccharivorans, Komagataeibacter xylinus and Komagataeibacter rhaeticus are the most abundant and prevalent Komagataeibacter species found in the AAB-dominant products [8,17,18]. Interestingly, the high prevalence of Komagataeibacter spp.…”

“…was found across geographically distant locations (e.g. Australia, China, Turkey and USA), suggesting a degree of standardisation in the kombucha preparation [7][8][17][18][19]. The species of Komagataeibacter are reported to exhibit efficient glucose-metabolising activities (e.g.…”

“…The species of Komagataeibacter are reported to exhibit efficient glucose-metabolising activities (e.g. high glucose conversion rate to cellulose) which have a putative role in preventing the onset of metabolic diseases such as type-2 diabetes and obesity [9,18].…”

Glycemic index and insulin index after a standard carbohydrate meal consumed with live kombucha: A randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial

“…The three beverage treatments were; 330 ml of soda water (Schweppes™, Asahi Beverages, VIC, Australia) that served as a placebo control, diet lemonade soft drink (Schweppes™ Zero Sugar, Asahi Beverages, VIC, Australia), and organic kombucha (The Good Brew Company Pty Ltd., VIC, Australia). The kombucha, which was made from spring water, organic oolong and green tea along with organic sugar, contained a highly complex mix of 200 probiotic species and a high concentration of polyphenols that have been previously characterised (19). The 330 ml of kombucha beverage contributed an additional 3 g of available carbohydrate (1.7 g of which was sugar) to the test meal, while the soda water and diet lemonade did not contain any sugar.…”

Penyuluhan Manfaat Teh Kombucha sebagai Minuman Probiotik di Desa Moncongloe Bulu, Kecamatan Moncongloe, Kabupaten Maros

“…Kultur mikroba tersebut juga biasa disebut sebagai bibit kombucha. Adapun mikroba (mikroorganisme) yang dominan dalam proses fermentasi kombucha antara lain dari kelompok bakteri Acetobacter dan Gluconobacter serta kelompok khamir (yeast) seperti Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces, dan Zygosaccharomyces (Kaashyap et al, 2021). Kombucha memiliki banyak manfaat untuk kesehatan.…”