1School of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225127, PR China
2Key Laboratory of Catering Food Safety and Systematic Monitoring for Jiangsu Province Market Regulation, Yangzhou 225001, PR China
3Jiangsu Alphay Bio-Technology Co. Ltd., Nantong 226010, PR China
4Yangzhou Institute for Food and Drug Control, Yangzhou 225106, PR China
To enhance the functionality of black tea beverages, this study investigated fermentation by eight Lactobacillus plantarum strains in black tea-sugar broth over 48 hours. Key analyses included pH, acidity, organic acids, sugars, phenols, and flavonoids. Strain-specific profiles emerged: some strains showed strong growth and acid production, while others maintained stable pH. Principal component analysis (77.32% variance) highlighted acidification and sugar metabolism as main drivers. Bioactive compounds like phenols and flavonoids remained stable, preserving antioxidant benefits. These insights offer a framework for optimizing fermentation, enabling producers to create probiotic-rich, health-promoting drinks with improved gut health and flavor potential.
| [1] | Guo, Q., Yuan, J., Ding, S., Nie, Q., Xu, Q., Pang, Y., Liao, X., Liu, Z., Liu, Z. and Cai. S. 2024. Microbial fermentation in fermented tea beverages: Transforming flavor and enhancing bioactivity. Beverage Plant Research. 4: e029.View Article |
| [2] | Frolova, Y., Vorobyeva, V., Vorobyeva, I., Sarkisyan, V., Malinkin, A., Isakov, V. and Kochetkova. A. 2023. Development of fermented kombucha tea beverage enriched with inulin and B vitamins. Fermentation. 9(6): 552.View Article |
| [3] | Jakubczyk, K., Łopusiewicz, Ł., Kika, J., Janda-Milczarek, K. and Skonieczna-Żydecka. K. 2024. Fermented tea as a food with functional value–its microbiological profile, antioxidant potential and phytochemical composition. Foods. 13(1): 50.View Article PubMed |
| [4] | Soumya, M.P. and Nampoothiri, K.M. 2021. An overview of functional genomics and relevance of glycosyltransferases in exopolysaccharide production by lactic acid bacteria. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 184: 1014–1025.View Article PubMed |
| [5] | Wang, Y., Wu, J., Lv, M., Shao, Zhen., Hungwe, M., Wang, J., Bai, X., Xie, J., Wang, Y. and Geng, W. 2021. Metabolism characteristics of lactic acid bacteria and the expanding applications in food industry. Fronters in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 9: 612285.View Article PubMed |
| [6] | Peng, Y., He, H., Li, Y., Zhao, J., Wang, B., Wei, Y., Yu, J., Chen, Q. and Wang, D. 2024. Fermentation of enzymatical feijoa fruit juice by probiotic bacteria: nutritional composition, bioactive phenolics, and antioxidant activities. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization. 18:8564–8576.View Article |
| [7] | Guo, J., Wang, C., Liu, L., Xu, K., Li, B., Zhang, L., Xu, H. and Lei, H. 2023. Antioxidant activities and volatile compounds of Chinese cabbage sauce prepared by the combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and functional oligosaccharides. Food Bioscience. 54:102854.View Article |
| [8] | Zhou, Q., Xue, B., Gu, R., Li, P. and Gu, Q. 2021. Lactobacillus plantarum ZJ316 attenuates Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis in C57BL/6 mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 69(23): 6510–6523.View Article PubMed |
| [9] | Di Cagno, R., De Angelis, M., Limitone, A., Minervini, F., Carnevali, P., Corsetti, A., Gaenzle, M., Ciati, R. and Gobbetti, M. 2006. Glucan and fructan production by sourdough Weissella cibaria and Lactobacillus plantarum. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 54(26): 9873–9881.View Article PubMed |
| [10] | Zhang, L., Liu, C., Li, D., Zhao, Y., Zhang, X., Zeng, X., Yang, Z. and Li. S. 2013. Antioxidant activity of an exopolysaccharide isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum C88. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 54: 270–275.View Article PubMed |
| [11] | Wang, S., Li, C., Xu, Q., Wang, Y., Wang, S., Zou, Y., Yang, Z. and Yuan, L. 2024. Addition of lactic acid bacteria modulates microbial community and promotes the flavor profiles of Kombucha. Food Bioscience. 60: 104340.View Article |
| [12] | Hassler, V., Brand, N. and Wefers, D. 2024. Isolation and characterization of exopolysaccharides from kombucha samples of different origins. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 267: 131377.View Article PubMed |
| [13] | Teixeira, G.G. and Santos, P.M. 2022. Simple and cost-effective approaches for quantification of reducing sugar exploiting digital image analysis. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 113: 104719.View Article |
| [14] | Lin, M., Lin, S., He, H., Yu, Y., Hu, J. and Zhou, L. 2025. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in fermented beverages: Properties, mechanisms, and future prospects. Journal of Functional Foods. 129: 106864.View Article |
| [15] | Sharma, V. and Mishra H.N. 2014 Unstructured kinetic modeling of growth and lactic acid production by Lactobacillus plantarum NCDC 414 during fermentation of vegetable juices. LWT-Food Science and Technology. 59(2): 1123–1128.View Article |
| [16] | Gupta, S., Abu-Ghannam, N. and Scannell, A.G.M. 2011. Growth and kinetics of Lactobacillus plantarum in the fermentation of edible Irish brown seaweeds. Food and Bioproducts Processing. 89(4): 346–355.View Article |
| [17] | Aghababaie, M., Khanahmadi, M. and Beheshti, M. 2015. Developing a detailed kinetic model for the production of yogurt starter bacteria in single strain cultures. Food and Bioproducts Processing. 94: 657–667.View Article |
| [18] | Behera, S.S., Ray, R.C. and Zdolec, N. 2018. Lactobacillus plantarum with functional properties: An approach to increase safety and shelf-life of fermented foods. Biomed Research International. 2018: 9361614.View Article PubMed |
| [19] | Garcia-Gonzalez, N., Battista, N., Prete, R. and Corsetti, A. 2021. Health-promoting role of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolated from fermented foods. Microorganisms. 9(2): 349.View Article PubMed |
| [20] | Cohen, G., Sela, D.A. and Nolden, A.A. 2023. Sucrose concentration and fermentation temperature impact the sensory characteristics and liking of Kombucha. Foods. 12(16): 3116.View Article PubMed |
| [21] | Derunets, A.S., Selimzyanova, A.I., Rykov, S.V., Kuznetsov, A.E. and Berezina, O.V. 2024. Strategies to enhance stress tolerance in lactic acid bacteria across diverse stress conditions. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 40: 126.View Article PubMed |
| [22] | Wen, L., Yang, L., Chen, C., Li, J., Fu, J., Liu, G., Kan, Q., Ho, C.T., Huang, Q., Lan, Y. and Cao, Y. 2024. Applications of multi-omics techniques to unravel the fermentation process and the flavor formation mechanism in fermented foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 64(23): 8367–8383.View Article PubMed |
| [23] | Shi, S., Wei, Y., Lin, X., Liang, H., Zhang, S., Chen, Y., Dong, Li. and Ji, C. 2023. Microbial metabolic transformation and antioxidant activity evaluation of polyphenols in kombucha. Food Bioscience. 51: 102287.View Article |
| [24] | Romero, M.L.M., Staszewski, M. and Martínez, M.J. 2021. The effect of green tea polyphenols addition on the physicochemical, microbiological and bioactive characteristics of yogurt. British Food Journal. 123(7): 2380–2397.View Article |
| [25] | Wu, S.X., Xiong, R.G., Cheng, J., Xu, X.Y., Tang, G.Y., Huang, S.Y., Zhou, D.D., Saimaiti, A., Gan, R.Y. and Li, H.B. 2023. Preparation, antioxidant activities and bioactive components of kombucha beverages from golden-flower tea (Camellia petelotii) and honeysuckle-flower tea (Lonicera japonica). Foods. 12(16): 3010.View Article PubMed |
| [26] | Xing, Z., Fu, X., Huang, H., Xu, Y., Wei, L., Shan, C. and Du, Y. 2025. Recent advances in Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation in modifying fruit-based products: Flavor property, bioactivity, and practical production applications. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 24(2): e70160.View Article PubMed |
