scholarly journals Advances in Kombucha Tea Fermentation: A Review

2022 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-101
Author(s):  
Laura M. Nyhan ◽  
Kieran M. Lynch ◽  
Aylin W. Sahin ◽  
Elke K. Arendt

Kombucha is a carbonated, slightly acidic beverage traditionally produced by the fermentation of sweetened tea by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). The microbial community of kombucha is a complex one, whose dynamics are still not fully understood; however, the emergence of culture-independent techniques has allowed a more comprehensive insight into kombucha microbiota. In recent times, advancements have been made towards the optimisation of the fermentation process, including the use of alternative substrates, defined starter cultures and the modification of fermentation parameters, with the aim of producing an innovative beverage that is improved in terms of its physiochemical, sensory and bioactive properties. The global kombucha market is rapidly increasing, with the rising popularity of the tea attributed in part to its purported health benefits, despite the lack of research in human subjects to substantiate such claims. Accordingly, the incidence of kombucha home-brewing has increased, meaning there is a requirement for individuals to recognise the potential hazards associated with fermentation and the relevant preventative measures to be undertaken to ensure the safe preparation of kombucha. The aim of this review is to provide an update regarding the current knowledge of kombucha production, microbiology, safety and marketing.

2017 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Vasile Petra ◽  
Aronel Rus ◽  
Dan Lucian Dumitrașcu

The gastric environment has been long time considered bacteria-free, but the discovery of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in 1982 superseded this conception. Over the last decades new diagnostic methods have been developed, starting with culture-dependent and advancing to culture-independent ones. These modern techniques provide new insight into the composition and influence of this ecosystem on the entire gastrointestinal tract. H. pylori is no longer considered the only microorganism in the stomach, other non-H. pylori microbial species may populate the same environment and exercise their role. Current knowledge suggests possible links of these bacteria with gastroduodenal diseases, such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer but most of them need further scientific evidence. This review summarizes current information on these complex interrelations between gastric microbial communities and host in health and disease.


2006 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Stockdale ◽  
Michael Bruno ◽  
Helder Ferreira ◽  
Elisa Garcia-Wilson ◽  
Nicola Wiechens ◽  
...  

In the 30 years since the discovery of the nucleosome, our picture of it has come into sharp focus. The recent high-resolution structures have provided a wealth of insight into the function of the nucleosome, but they are inherently static. Our current knowledge of how nucleosomes can be reconfigured dynamically is at a much earlier stage. Here, recent advances in the understanding of chromatin structure and dynamics are highlighted. The ways in which different modes of nucleosome reconfiguration are likely to influence each other are discussed, and some of the factors likely to regulate the dynamic properties of nucleosomes are considered.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 539
Author(s):  
Tamás Plaszkó ◽  
Zsolt Szűcs ◽  
Gábor Vasas ◽  
Sándor Gonda

Plants heavily rely on chemical defense systems against a variety of stressors. The glucosinolates in the Brassicaceae and some allies are the core molecules of one of the most researched such pathways. These natural products are enzymatically converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) and occasionally other defensive volatile organic constituents (VOCs) upon fungal challenge or tissue disruption to protect the host against the stressor. The current review provides a comprehensive insight on the effects of the isothiocyanates on fungi, including, but not limited to mycorrhizal fungi and pathogens of Brassicaceae. In the review, our current knowledge on the following topics are summarized: direct antifungal activity and the proposed mechanisms of antifungal action, QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationships), synergistic activity of ITCs with other agents, effects of ITCs on soil microbial composition and allelopathic activity. A detailed insight into the possible applications is also provided: the literature of biofumigation studies, inhibition of post-harvest pathogenesis and protection of various products including grains and fruits is also reviewed herein.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Wang ◽  
Pan Wang ◽  
Yanan Li ◽  
Hongling Peng ◽  
Yu Zhu ◽  
...  

AbstractHematopoiesis requires finely tuned regulation of gene expression at each stage of development. The regulation of gene transcription involves not only individual transcription factors (TFs) but also transcription complexes (TCs) composed of transcription factor(s) and multisubunit cofactors. In their normal compositions, TCs orchestrate lineage-specific patterns of gene expression and ensure the production of the correct proportions of individual cell lineages during hematopoiesis. The integration of posttranslational and conformational modifications in the chromatin landscape, nucleosomes, histones and interacting components via the cofactor–TF interplay is critical to optimal TF activity. Mutations or translocations of cofactor genes are expected to alter cofactor–TF interactions, which may be causative for the pathogenesis of various hematologic disorders. Blocking TF oncogenic activity in hematologic disorders through targeting cofactors in aberrant complexes has been an exciting therapeutic strategy. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the models and functions of cofactor–TF interplay in physiological hematopoiesis and highlight their implications in the etiology of hematological malignancies. This review presents a deep insight into the physiological and pathological implications of transcription machinery in the blood system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Mikhaleva ◽  
A. L. Cherniaev ◽  
M. V. Samsonova ◽  
O. V. Zayratyants ◽  
L. V. Kakturskiy ◽  
...  

Background: Autopsies on COVID-19 deceased patients have many limitations due to necessary epidemiologic and preventative measures. The ongoing pandemic has caused a significant strain on healthcare systems and is being extensively studied around the world. Clinical data does not always corelate with post-mortem findings. The goal of our study was to find pathognomonic factors associated with COVID-19 mortality in 100 post-mortem full body autopsies.Materials and Methods: Following necessary safety protocol, we performed 100 autopsies on patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 related death. The macroscopic and microscopic pathologies were evaluated along with clinical and laboratory findings.Results: Extensive coagulopathic changes are seen throughout the bodies of diseased patients. Diffuse alveolar damage is pathognomonic of COVID-19 viral pneumonia, and is the leading cause of lethal outcome in younger patients. Extrapulmonary pathology is predominantly seen in the liver and spleen. Intravascular thrombosis is often widespread and signs of septic shock are often present.Conclusion: The described pathological manifestations of COVID-19 in deceased patients are an insight into the main mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 associated lethal outcome. The disease bears no obvious bias in severity, but seems to be more severe in some patients, hinting at genetic or epigenetic factors at play.


2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Champagne

Lactic cultures are widely used in food fermentations and as probiotic supplements. Some strains are damaged by the various steps of fermentation concentration and drying involved in the biotechnology process. Growing cells in alginate beads instead of free cells in a culture medium can answer some of these problems. In this review, the characteristics of the fermentation process based on growing microentrapped (ME) lactic cultures in alginate beads are presented. Potential benefits to nutraceutical and food industries of ME cultures are also presented.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kary Ocaña ◽  
Micaella Coelho ◽  
Guilherme Freire ◽  
Carla Osthoff

Bayesian phylogenetic algorithms are computationally intensive. BEAST 1.10 inferences made use of the BEAGLE 3 high-performance library for efficient likelihood computations. The strategy allows phylogenetic inference and dating in current knowledge for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Follow-up simulations on hybrid resources of Santos Dumont supercomputer using four phylogenomic data sets, we characterize the scaling performance behavior of BEAST 1.10. Our results provide insight into the species tree and MCMC chain length estimation, identifying preferable requirements to improve the use of high-performance computing resources. Ongoing steps involve analyzes of SARS-CoV-2 using BEAST 1.8 in multi-GPUs.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1541
Author(s):  
Hubert Antolak ◽  
Dominik Piechota ◽  
Aleksandra Kucharska

Kombucha is a low alcoholic beverage with high content of bioactive compounds derived from plant material (tea, juices, herb extracts) and metabolic activity of microorganisms (acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts). Currently, it attracts an increasing number of consumers due to its health-promoting properties. This review focuses on aspects significantly affecting the bioactive compound content and biological activities of Kombucha tea. The literature review shows that the drink is characterized by a high content of bioactive compounds, strong antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Factors that substantially affect these activities are the tea type and its brewing parameters, the composition of the SCOBY, as well as the fermentation parameters. On the other hand, Kombucha fermentation is characterized by many unknowns, which result, inter alia, from different methods of tea extraction, diverse, often undefined compositions of microorganisms used in the fermentation, as well as the lack of clearly defined effects of microorganisms on bioactive compounds contained in tea, and therefore the health-promoting properties of the final product. The article indicates the shortcomings in the current research in the field of Kombucha, as well as future perspectives on improving the health-promoting activities of this fermented drink.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Ganthaler ◽  
S. Mayr

Dwarf shrubs exhibit different requirements for a safe and efficient water supply compared to trees due their basitonic branching and low growth height. Though, only few studies dealt with the hydraulics of this growth form. Here we report key hydraulic parameters (vulnerability to drought-induced embolism, xylem hydraulic conductivity, cell osmotic potential, potential at turgor loss point) and related wood anatomical traits for Vaccinium gaultherioides, a wide-spread species in the European Alps. The results affirm the current knowledge, by indicating a relatively risky hydraulic strategy with low hydraulic safety compared to alpine trees and osmotic properties connected to the species’ soil humidity requirements.


2009 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marília M Gonçalves ◽  
Rosangela Freitas ◽  
Luís A Nero ◽  
Antônio F Carvalho

The efficiency of Petrifilm™ AC (3M Microbiology, St. Paul, MN, USA) associated with the broths M17 and de Mann-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) at pH 5·4 was evaluated to enumerate Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus during the yogurt production. Commercial and reference strains of these microorganisms were experimentally inoculated in nonfat milk and incubated at 42°C for 4 h for yogurt production. At the moment of inoculation and after incubation, aliquots were collected, submitted to dilution using the broths M17 and MRS at pH 5·4, and plated for Strep. salivarius and Lb. bulgaricus enumeration according ISO 9232 and at Petrifilm™ AC plates, respectively. M17 plates were incubated at 42°C, and MRS plates were incubated at 35°C under anaerobiosis. After 48 h, the formed colonies were enumerated and the counts were compared by correlation and analysis of variance (P<0·05). In addition, colonies were randomly selected from all plates and characterized according to Gram staining and morphology. The obtained results indicated that Petrifilm™ AC plates associated to M17 and MRS at pH 5·4 can be considered as a suitable alternative for Strep. salivarius and Lb. bulgaricus enumeration during yogurt production, with slight interferences due to the acidity of MRS at the moment of inoculation, and due to the acidity of yogurt at the end of fermentation process. It was also observed that the MRS at pH 5·4 was not sufficiently selective for Lb. delbrueckii enumeration, despite it is indicated by the official protocol from ISO 9232.


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