Kombucha Mushroom Extract: Anticancer, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties

Abstract

Introduction: Kombucha is not really a fungus but a community of several yeasts and bacteria. It has a wide range of vitamins and amino acids. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant activity of kombucha on rat bone marrow cells and human blood lymphocytes, anticancer effect on A549 and HepG2 cells, cytotoxicity effect on HGF cells, and growth and formation of biofilm on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated. Results: Kombucha extract has inhibited cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and oxidative stress induced by cisplatin and improved antioxidant factors. Different concentrations of the extract showed that concentrations of 50 μg onward induce a better antioxidant effect. Using kombucha as monotherapy in two categories of cancer cells showed that it can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Increasing the concentration increases the anticancer capability, so we see the best effect at a concentration of 100 μg. On the other hand, exposure to kombucha alone in HGF showed that this extract causes little toxicity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was at concentrations of 250 and 500 μg/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentration test showed Kombucha for ATCC25923 and P. aeruginosa isolates at 4 MIC concentration with bactericidal ability. P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and ATCC: 25923 expressed strong biofilm and also in ATCC27853 moderate biofilm. A concentration of 8 MIC in ATCC27853 and 2 MIC in ATCC25923 was able to inhibit biofilm. Conclusion: Kombucha extract has anticancer and antioxidant properties due to its wide range of vitamins and amino acids, especially glucuronic acid and polyphenols such as catechin. © Copyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2023.