Desenvolvimento, estabilidade química de compostos bioativos em kombucha de chá verde (Camellia sinensis) saborizada com abóbora (Cucurbita moschata)

Abstract

Kombucha is a drink of Asian origin made from Camellia sinensis leaf tea added to a starter culture, containing a symbiotic consortium of bacteria and yeast. Recognized for its health benefits, it has achieved specific growth, with diverse consumption options, mainly with varieties of flavors and nutrients. Considering the functional role of the drink and Normative Instruction 41/2019 (MAPA) which regulates the identity and quality standard of kombucha, and authorizes the addition of fruits and vegetables that can further enrich a drink. The present created and studied a green tea kombucha (Camellia Sinensis) with the addition of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), evaluating the chemical stability of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids flavored with pumpkin during storage. During the research, an experimental design was carried out to optimize the formulation, using a 2³ factorial design with the following variables: percentage of green tea (Camellia sinensis), pumpkin puree and sugar. Then, 03 factorial planning conditions were selected: C0 (Kombucha without the addition of pumpkin), C4 (Kombucha with the addition of 15% pumpkin) and C8 (Kombucha with the addition of 15% pumpkin and 5g of sugar). The samples were stored for 60 days under refrigeration and a stability study of the bioactive compounds was carried out, in which they were analyzed at time 0 and repeated every 10 days. Thus, kombucha without added pumpkin (C0) presented the best concentration for phenolic compounds (2.02± 0.06 mgEAG/ml) and flavonoids (48.79± 0.97 mgEC/ml). While kombucha with pumpkin addition (C4) was the condition with the highest concentration of carotenoids (28.9 ±1.73 μg /100 ml). It is worth mentioning that the best concentrations of carotenoids were found on the 20th day (T20) and the antioxidant activity was found on the 30th day of storage (T30). Statistical analyzes revealed that there were no significant differences between the times analyzed for the bioactive compounds. Therefore, the samples were considered relevant when they were left under refrigeration for 60 days. Therefore, it is concluded that pumpkin is a promising ingredient in the flavoring of kombuchas, guaranteeing a drink with specific details of bioactive compounds and, mainly, carotenoids.