The bacteria and yeast that ferment kombucha can transform sugar into a natural antioxidant.

The consortium of bacteria and yeast responsible for the fermentation of kombucha, a beverage made from sweetened tea, can naturally produce gallic acid, a potent antioxidant, from sugar, without the need for plant matrices or chemical additives. This is according to a study led by Sonia Medina Escudero and Raúl Domínguez Perles, researchers from the Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Healthy Foods (LabFAS) at the Center for Edaphology and Applied Biology of the Segura (Cebas-CSIC), in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) and the Institute of Food Chemistry and Technology (Iata-CSIC) in Valencia. This study demonstrates that this consortium of bacteria and yeast, known as ‘scoby’, can naturally generate gallic acid from sugar, acting as a true microbial factory. Sources from Cebas-CSIC have highlighted that this finding “opens the door to a more sustainable, efficient, and economical production of this valuable natural antioxidant.” “Demonstrating that ...