Isolation and Characterization of Bacteria and Yeast from Kombucha Tea

Kombucha is a sugared tea fermented with flat, pancake like culture of yeast and acetic acid bacteria (AAB), which is consumed worldwide for its refreshing and beneficial effects. In this study Kombucha culture from a fermented tea was screened for the presence of AAB and yeast using selective media. Biochemical analysis for identification and confirmation of the genus of the bacteria and yeast were performed, followed by molecular characterization using partial sequencing targeting conserved sequences of both organisms. Biochemical analysis confirmed presence of organisms belonging to genus Acetobacter. Yeast was unidentified by biochemical analysis. Molecular characterization of the isolates identified acetic acid bacteria as Komagataeibacter saccharivorans and yeast as Zygosaccharomysis bailli.