Revisão bibliográfica sobre tecnologia e ciência da kombucha

Abstract

Kombucha is a refreshing drink that results from the fermentation of sweetened tea by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The probiotic drink is composed of two phases: a solid floating cellulosic film layer and an acidic liquid phase. Kombucha has gained popularity worldwide due to functional foods and beverages, and its consumption is driven by its health benefits. The most conventional substrate used in the fermentation of kombucha is green tea or black tea added with sucrose, but research has been using different types of substrates for the preparation of kombucha, improving its characteristic qualities. Therefore, the present work is a literature review that aimed to elucidate the traditional and non-traditional substrates used in the preparation of kombucha, health benefits, chemical and microbiological composition, in addition to presenting the technologies derived from the fermented beverage. Works in Portuguese, English and Spanish in the form of thesis, book, article and dissertation were included in the review. The restriction period was between the years 2000 and 2023. As a database, Scopus, Scielo, Google Scholar, CAPES and PubMed were used. The studies included in this work applied kombucha in several sectors, such as textile, food, biomaterials, waste treatment, among others. In view of this, research should be carried out with the aim of increasing the scale of production and thus using the fermented beverage together with the cellulose produced by its consortium of microorganisms in a more optimized way, since there are countless possibilities of use, in addition to employing substrates from waste that help in sustainable development. The alternative substrates presented in this review had promising results compared to traditional substrates, improving the quality of the fermented beverage.