Microbiological and Biochemical Characterization, and Sensory Evaluation of Dragon Blood Tea Kombucha

The consumption of kombucha in Southeast Asia has risen significantly due to increasing awareness of wellness, leading to a high demand for novel beverages in the kombucha market. In this study, we focused on using dragon blood tea (Peristrophe bivalvis L. Merr), a local plant in Southeast Asia, as an alternative substrate for producing kombucha. The fermentation process was performed at 30°C for 15 days and compared with traditional kombucha made from green tea and black tea (Camellia sinensis L.). The microbiological properties of the three types of kombucha revealed similar growth patterns for both acetic acid bacteria and yeast. In terms of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, green tea kombucha demonstrated the highest values, followed by dragon blood tea kombucha and black tea kombucha, respectively. Notably, dragon blood tea kombucha displayed a significant increase in total phenolic content throughout the fermentation period, whereas green tea and black tea kombucha exhibited a decrease after day 6 of fermentation. Antioxidant activity remained consistent across all types of kombucha during fermentation. Sensory evaluation revealed that dragon blood tea kombucha received the highest scores for appearance and color, although it scored lower in the aroma. These findings suggest the potential of dragon blood tea kombucha as a novel substrate for kombucha production, offering directions for future research, particularly focusing on enhancing aroma through the infusion of flowers or herbs.