ANALYSIS OF THE ANTIOXIDANTS IN HOMEMADE VS. COMMERCIAL KOMBUCHA

Authors:
Olivia Vick, Bruce Branan

Abstract:
Kombucha is tea that is fermented by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). It has many purported health benefits, partly due to its antioxidant levels. This study contrasted the concentrations of antioxidants in a variety of homemade vs. commercial kombucha teas. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV) was used to determine individual concentrations of caffeine, catechin, epicatechin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to determine the concentrations of total antioxidants in the kombucha samples. The concentrations of caffeine, catechin, epicatechin, EGCG, and total antioxidants were all shown to be statistically higher in homemade kombucha than in commercial kombucha (p < 5%). These differences were found to be independent of the fermentation process and of the specific SCOBY used, and they indicate that homemade kombucha is significantly higher in antioxidants than commercial kombucha.

Keywords: antioxidant, caffeine, homebrew, commercial, catechin, egcg



Country: USA

Citation: Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research, 2022, 21(3), 74

Study Mailing Address:
Shaw School of Science, Asbury University, Wilmore, KY 40390

Date Updated: August 9, 2022