Preparation and evaluation of Cili Kombucha beverages based on bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacities, and sensory qualities

Cili fruit is rich in nutrients, but its sourness is difficult to accept. Kombucha is a fermentation-derived functional beverage with widespread consumer acceptance due to its balanced flavor profile. In this study, the fermentation of Cili juice with SCOBY to improve its flavor, the effect of fermentation conditions on the quality of Cili kombucha beverages was explored. Results showed that the TSS of Cili kombucha beverages decreases during fermentation, while the total and organic acids increase. The fermentation conditions of Cili soft beverage (CSB) and Cili alcoholic beverage (CAB) optimized by orthogonal experiment are as follows: the Cili juice, sucrose, kombucha fermentation broth, and fermentation temperature were 15%, 16%, 15%, 24℃ and 5%, 16%, 25%, 28℃. The total flavonoid content, SOD activity, and antioxidant capacity in CSB and CAB all increased during fermentation. The content of Vc and total phenolic in CSB increases during fermentation, while CAB decreases. The correlation analysis shows that the content of Vc and total flavonoids is the main contributing compound for the antioxidant capacity in CSB and CAB. In conclusion, fermented Cili juice with kombucha not only improves the taste of Cili juice but also increases the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of kombucha beverages.