Production of Functional Kombucha Enhanced with Mormix, Mulberry Powder and Different Concentrations of Whey; [Farklı Konsantrasyonlarda Peynir Altı Suyu, Mormix ve Dut Tozu ile Zenginleştirilen Fonksiyonel Kombucha Üretimi]

In this study, the fortified fermented beverages with Kombucha culture (SCOBY) and different concentrations of whey (25%, 50%, 75%) by using mulberry powder to give natural sweetness with mormix rich in bioactive components during fermentation (1st, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th days) microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties were planned. This effort was to develop an innovative, functional, and immune-boosting product by combining Mormix, which is rich in bioactive compounds, and nutritionally valuable whey in the production of Kombucha tea. The lowest acetic acid bacteria count (6.87 log10 cfu mL-1) was found in the control sample, and the highest (8.07 log10 cfu mL-1) was found in the sample produced with green tea+75% whey+mormix+mulberry powder (KMP3). Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus spp. counts were determined to be the highest in the KMP3 sample. The effect of the samples on the mold counts developed in Kombucha beverages was statistically significant (p<0.01). Using green tea and different raw materials for Kombucha fermentation caused changes in dry matter, titration acidity, and pH values. The viscosity results were very significant during fermentation and adding different concentrations of whey and mormix+mulberry powder (p<0.01). It was determined that the L*, a*, b*, C, α°, and ∆E* color parameters of Kombucha enriched with whey and mormix+mulberry powder changed during fermentation. In fermented beverage samples made with Kombucha culture, an increase was observed in total phenolic content (981.33-1515.30 mg GAE g-1) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH 59.03-94.29%) during fermentation depending on the raw materials added. The sensory analysis showed that the most preferred sample was green tea+25% whey+mormix+mulberry powder (KMP1). Increasing the fermentation time caused an increase in acidity, and on the 13th day, KMP2 and KMP3 were the samples with the lowest taste scores. It has been obtained from the thesis findings that Kombucha can be evaluated as a new fermented beverage because raw materials such as whey and mormix used in its production provide strong antioxidant properties. ©Bu çalışma Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi tarafından Creative Commons Lisansı (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) kapsamında yayınlanmıştır. Tekirdağ 2025.