Abstract
Kombucha is one of the most popular fermented beverages, made from
sweetened tea that is fermented by bacteria, and yeast. These
microorganisms produce a variety of bioactive compounds. Researchers
continue to look for new base drinks for making kombucha. In this study,
we tested herbs characterized by a high content of health-promoting
substances: field horsetail, linden, chamomile, nettle, St. John’s wort
and rockrose. The aim of study was to analyze the qualitative and
quantitative composition as well as the antioxidant and antibiotic
properties of kombucha prepared on the basis of herbs. The analyzed
herbs turned out to be a good substrate for the production of a
fermented beverage containing a number of both antibacterial and
antioxidant compounds. Particularly noteworthy was the rockrose
kombucha, which had the best ability to scavenge the free hydroxyl
radicals, showed high antioxidant and antibiotic activity. Moreover,
this drink had the highest concentration of succinic acid.