Research
Determination of Some Microbiological Properties of Kombucha Produced from Different Herbal Teas
“Kombucha†is a beverage made by fermenting tea (generally black or sometimes green and oolong tea) and sugar, with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast generally for 7- 10 days. The final product is a sour, slightly sparkling, acidic beverage. In this study, black tea, green tea, sage (Salvia fruticosa Mill.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), and linden (Tilia cordata) leaves were used in making kombucha. Some microbiological analyzes of the samples were carried out on the 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 14th days of fermentation, which lasted 14 days at 24oC. The number of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, yeast, and acetic acid bacteria were average 5.73, 5.66, 5.63 and 5.55 log CFU/mL on the 3rd day of fermentation; average 5.77, 5.01, 5.70 and 3.55 log CFU/mL on the 14th day of fermentation, respectively. Generally, microorganisms increased until the 7th day of fermentation and then decreased. Different herbal teas can be used to produce kombucha enhanced functional properties
