Antimicrobial potential of kombucha against foodborne pathogens

The survival of foodborne pathogens under stressful food processing conditions and in host’s gastrointestinal tract has been widely reported to cause the outbreak of human diseases. Generally, antibiotics have been used to elimi-nate the microbial flora of foodborne pathogens. However, the overuse of antibiotics has contributed to the emergence and spread of multi-drug-resistant foodborne pathogens. Kombucha is a beverage prepared by fermenting sugared tea or other substrates with a symbiotic culture of yeasts and bacteria, and has been proved to fight food-borne pathogens and affect gastrointestinal microbial flora to prevent foodborne illnesses. In this context, this review primarily focused on microbiological and chemical compositions of kombucha obtained by fermenting different substrates. It further discussed the antimicrobial activity of kombucha, as well as potential antimicrobial agents found in kombucha, and the limitations of kombucha in the food industry. In addition, the need for developing antimicrobial agents from kombucha has been discussed for potential applications. The information provided in this review indicates that kombucha could serve as an alternative approach to control pathogens in place of using antibiotics.