THE EFFECT OF AERATION ON THE BIOCONVERSION OF CLITORIA TERNATEA L. TEA BY THE CULTURE OF MICROORGANISMS MEDUSOMYCES GISEVII DP-21

Traditional kombucha is produced by fermenting an infusion of black or green tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). According to the classification of microorganisms, this culture is called Medusomyces gisevii. It ferments sucrose and other components of the wort, which can serve as the basis for creating new products with original sensory properties beneficial to human health. The article determines the optimal temperature for extracting Clitoria ternatea L. tea leaves for the preparation of kombucha fermented beverage. It was established that the change in the color of the wort during fermentation is caused by an increase in its acidity and a corresponding change in the coloration of the fermented wort. The influence of aeration during fermentation on the appearance of the drinks was analyzed. The effect of dry matter content, particularly sucrose, on the fermentation process was studied. Changes in titratable acidity during the fermentation of wort under different cultivation conditions were determined. The content of acetic, gluconic, glucuronic, pyruvic, malic, citric, and succinic acids in the fermented wort was identified. The organoleptic profile of the drinks was examined, which confirms the feasibility of aerating the wort during fermentation.