Biochemical Characteristics of Tea Fungus Produced During Kombucha Fermentation

Tea fungus is symbiotic culture of acetic acid bacteria and yeasts, widely used to produce kombucha tea. Due to the rich biomass in tea fungus, it can be utilized as protein supplement in animal feed. The present study aimed to analyze the biochemical characteristics of tea fungus with the effect of fermentation time. Proximate, amino acids, and elemental analysis of tea fungus produced during kombucha fermentation were studied along with total count of microflora. Results suggested that tea fungus is rich in crude protein, crude fibre, and amino acid lysine. The biochemical characteristics of tea fungus studied were increased throuahout the fermentation time.