Microbial Interactions in Kombucha through the Lens of Metabolomics.

Thierry Tran,Antoine Martin,Hervé Alexandre,Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin,François Verdier,Cosette Grandvalet,Chloé Roullier-Gall,Raphaëlle Tourdot-Maréchal

doi:10.3390/metabo12030235

Abstract

Kombucha is a fermented beverage obtained through the activity of a complex microbial community of yeasts and bacteria. Exo-metabolomes of kombucha microorganisms were analyzed using FT-ICR-MS to investigate their interactions. A simplified set of microorganisms including two yeasts (Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Hanseniaspora valbyensis) and one acetic acid bacterium (Acetobacter indonesiensis) was used to investigate yeast–yeast and yeast–acetic acid bacterium interactions. A yeast–yeast interaction was characterized by the release and consumption of fatty acids and peptides, possibly in relationship to commensalism. A yeast–acetic acid bacterium interaction was different depending on yeast species. With B. bruxellensis, fatty acids and peptides were mainly produced along with consumption of sucrose, fatty acids and polysaccharides. In opposition, the presence of H. valbyensis induced mainly the decrease of polyphenols, peptides, fatty acids, phenolic acids and putative isopropyl malate and phenylpyruvate and few formulae have been produced. With all three microorganisms, the formulae involved with the yeast–yeast interactions were consumed or not produced in the presence of A. indonesiensis. The impact of the yeasts’ presence on A. indonesiensis was consistent regardless of the yeast species with a commensal consumption of compounds associated to the acetic acid bacterium by yeasts. In detail, hydroxystearate from yeasts and dehydroquinate from A. indonesiensis were potentially consumed in all cases of yeast(s)–acetic acid bacterium pairing, highlighting mutualistic behavior.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilAs the knowledge linking human microbiota to human health deepens, the interest regarding the consumption of fermented food with or without live microorganisms is increasing [1,2]
The present study aims at analyzing and comparing exo-metabolomes of monocultures and cocultures in sugared tea of microorganisms isolated from the same kombucha consortium using FT-ICR-MS tool
Exo-metabolomes of kombucha microorganisms grown in sugared black tea in monocultures and cocultures allowed to highlight new hypotheses regarding microbial interactions that could occur during kombucha production

Summary

Introduction

As the knowledge linking human microbiota (especially in the gut) to human health deepens, the interest regarding the consumption of fermented food with or without live microorganisms (dietary microorganisms) is increasing [1,2]. Evidence pointing the benefits of dietary microorganisms and their activity on the nutritional quality of food accumulates as new strong hypotheses emerged on the interactions of live foodborne microorganisms and their metabolites with the gut microbiota [3]. The study of microbial interactions is relevant to understand phenomena and mechanisms that occur in the context of food fermentations, whether those interactions involve foodborne microorganisms and the host, or the fermenting microorganisms themselves in relationship to the control of fermentations involving complex microbial communities [4]. Kombucha is a traditional beverage of interest regarding the consumption of dietary microorganisms. It is produced through the transformation of sugared tea infusion by a iations

Methods

Results

Conclusion