Product Development, Chemical and Microbial Analysis of Butterfly Pea Flower Mint Kombucha

Lin, Ching Xia (2024) Product Development, Chemical and Microbial Analysis of Butterfly Pea Flower Mint Kombucha. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Kombucha is a type of popular functional beverage that is known for its health benefits. It is made by fermenting sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY). This project studied how the addition of dried butterfly pea flowers (Clitoria ternatea) and mint leaves affects the chemical, microbial and sensory properties of black tea kombucha. The kombucha was prepared by fermenting the sweetened black tea with 5% (w/v) sugar, 10% (v/v) starter tea with SCOBY for 15 days, before the addition of dried butterfly pea flower and mint leaves and fermenting it for another 3 days. The analysis that performed in this project were pH, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH, total plate count (TPC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count, and yeast count. A sensory evaluation was also conducted with 40 panelists to determine the consumer acceptance of this newly developed flavor kombucha. The results showed an increase in total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH, total plate count (TPC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count, and yeast count in butterfly pea flower mint kombucha when compared with control kombucha. Butterfly pea flower mint kombucha was able to achieve a slightly higher lactic acid bacteria count [4.33 x 106] CFU/mL compared to control kombucha [3 x 106] CFU/mL. Moreover, based on the preference test conducted, it revealed that 30% of the panelists preferred butterfly pea flower mint kombucha rather than control kombucha. Overall, it was seen that the addition of both butterfly pea flower and mint leaf into the kombucha formulation were suitable as it showed an increment in antioxidant activity, as well as a higher lactic acid bacteria count.