Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content
Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, is produced through the symbiotic interaction of several microbial strains, including acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast, collectively known as symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). As its health benefits and distinctive flavor gain w...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Fermentation |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/1/17 |
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| author | Geun-Hyung Kim Kwang-Rim Baek Ga-Eun Lee Ji-Hyun Lee Ji-Hyun Moon Seung-Oh Seo |
| author_facet | Geun-Hyung Kim Kwang-Rim Baek Ga-Eun Lee Ji-Hyun Lee Ji-Hyun Moon Seung-Oh Seo |
| author_sort | Geun-Hyung Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, is produced through the symbiotic interaction of several microbial strains, including acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast, collectively known as symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). As its health benefits and distinctive flavor gain wider recognition, consumer demand and research on kombucha fermentation have increased. This study focused on developing starter cultures to produce functional kombucha through precision fermentation technology using selected microbial strains newly isolated from food sources. The isolated bacterial and yeast strains were evaluated and selected based on their fermentation characteristics. Notably, a lactic acid bacterial strain was chosen for its ability to overproduce the γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), a functional food component known to enhance cognitive function and reduce mental stress. To produce the GABA-fortified kombucha, selected single strains of <i>Acetobacter pasteurianus</i>, <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i>, and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> were mixed and used as starter cultures. By optimizing the inoculation ratios and initial sugar concentration, a functional kombucha enriched with acetic acid, lactic acid, and GABA was successfully produced. The resulting kombucha demonstrated 2.2 mg/L of GABA production and 1.15 times higher antioxidant activity after the fermentation, highlighting its enhanced health-promoting properties. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-282a905b21994aab9bbf5a2cceda4f2a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2311-5637 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fermentation |
| spelling | doaj-art-282a905b21994aab9bbf5a2cceda4f2a2025-01-24T13:32:03ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-01-011111710.3390/fermentation11010017Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) ContentGeun-Hyung Kim0Kwang-Rim Baek1Ga-Eun Lee2Ji-Hyun Lee3Ji-Hyun Moon4Seung-Oh Seo5Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of KoreaKombucha, a fermented tea beverage, is produced through the symbiotic interaction of several microbial strains, including acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast, collectively known as symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). As its health benefits and distinctive flavor gain wider recognition, consumer demand and research on kombucha fermentation have increased. This study focused on developing starter cultures to produce functional kombucha through precision fermentation technology using selected microbial strains newly isolated from food sources. The isolated bacterial and yeast strains were evaluated and selected based on their fermentation characteristics. Notably, a lactic acid bacterial strain was chosen for its ability to overproduce the γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), a functional food component known to enhance cognitive function and reduce mental stress. To produce the GABA-fortified kombucha, selected single strains of <i>Acetobacter pasteurianus</i>, <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i>, and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> were mixed and used as starter cultures. By optimizing the inoculation ratios and initial sugar concentration, a functional kombucha enriched with acetic acid, lactic acid, and GABA was successfully produced. The resulting kombucha demonstrated 2.2 mg/L of GABA production and 1.15 times higher antioxidant activity after the fermentation, highlighting its enhanced health-promoting properties.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/1/17kombuchastarter cultureprecision fermentationγ-amino butyric acid (GABA)fortification |
| spellingShingle | Geun-Hyung Kim Kwang-Rim Baek Ga-Eun Lee Ji-Hyun Lee Ji-Hyun Moon Seung-Oh Seo Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content Fermentation kombucha starter culture precision fermentation γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) fortification |
| title | Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content |
| title_full | Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content |
| title_fullStr | Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content |
| title_short | Development of Starter Cultures for Precision Fermentation of Kombucha with Enriched Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Content |
| title_sort | development of starter cultures for precision fermentation of kombucha with enriched gamma aminobutyric acid gaba content |
| topic | kombucha starter culture precision fermentation γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) fortification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/1/17 |
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