Kombucha is a traditional healthy beverage usually made by the fermentation of sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The consumption of kombucha is associated with numerous health benefits and therefore the beverage has attracted the attention of consumers worldwide. Non-typical substrates (fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, dairy, and by-products) are being inoculated with the kombucha consortium in an attempt to develop new products. This review paper reviews the fermentation parameters for different non-tea substrates used to make kombucha, in addition to the findings obtained in terms of physico-chemical analysis, biological activities and sensory evaluation.
Keywords: Antioxidant activity; SCOBY; kombucha; polyphenols.