Non-Targeted Metabolomic Analysis of the Kombucha Production Process

Abstract

Kombucha is a traditional fermented beverage obtained from the transformation of sugared black tea by a community of yeasts and bacteria. Kombucha production recently became industrialized, but its quality standards remain poorly defined. Metabolomic analyses were applied using FT-ICR-MS to characterize the impacts of production phases and the type of tea on the non-volatile chemical composition of kombucha. Independently from tea type, the first phase of acidification in open vessel was characterized by the release of gluconate and gallate from acetic acid bacteria metabolism and probably from polymeric polyphenols, respectively. The second phase of carbonation in closed vessel induced a consumption or transformation of oleic acid that could be consecutive of oxygen limitation. The first phase had the most impact on molecular diversity, but tea type mainly influenced the global composition in polyphenol profile. Black tea polyphenols were more impacted by microbial activity compared to green tea polyphenols.

Unveiling chemical responses in the kombucha-based fermentation of black tea, banana flower, and grape juice: LC-ESIMS, GNPS, MS-DIAL, and MS-FINDER-assisted chemical characterization

“…The extract from the black tea infusion was used as a starting point, as its composition is well-documented in the literature. 11,32,34…”

“…The extract from the black tea infusion was used as a starting point, as its composition is well-documented in the literature. 11,32,34 Table 1 displays the identities of the chemical components in kombucha and the non-fermented extracts. Parts of the structures were assigned with a score from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest rate of the assignment.…”

Modulation effects of microorganisms on tea in fermentation

“…Tea polyphenols have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, weight loss and other effects. After microbial fermentation, the content of polyphenols changes in the tea ( 25 – 28 ).…”

Identification of Key Parameters Inducing Microbial Modulation during Backslopped Kombucha Fermentation

“…Therefore, acetic acid bacteria can convert glucose and ethanol into gluconic and acetic acid, respectively, through oxidative metabolism [32]. Additional transformations include olfactive volatile compounds and modifications in polyphenol structure [15,[33][34][35][36]. In parallel, a floating cellulosic biofilm is produced by acetic acid bacteria at the surface of the liquid and hosts both yeasts and bacteria within itself [15,37,38].…”