Benefits of microbial Biotechnology

Microorganisms are often invisible to the naked eye and are able to survive and multiply independently. They include bacteria, yeasts, fungi and microalgae, and produce molecules of interest for the cosmetic industry.

Microorganisms have long been used to serve the demands and needs of humans, e.g. to preserve food, such as milk, fruits or vegetables and to enhance the quality of life through the beverages, cheese and bread obtained. The oldest and best-known fermentation process describes the conversion of sugar to alcohol by yeasts to produce beer¹. In general, fermentation refers to an enzymatically controlled process which breaks down energy-rich compounds, such as carbohydrates, into other, simpler substances, often carbon dioxide and alcohol, or an organic acid.

A closer look at the advantages of Kombucha 

Inspired by Korean traditional food and the increasing demand for healthier food, fermented drinks which harness the beneficial effects of microorganisms have become very popular, and a lot of Kombucha bars are currently opening in Europe². The fermentation process makes the food nutriments more available. Kombucha, also known as long-life mushroom, is a gelatinous mass with a brownish yellow colour, which floats on the surface of the jar in which the beverage is traditionally fermented from sweet black tea. The Kombucha mushroom is a symbiont of a yeast of the genus Saccharomyces nesting within a matrix of polysaccharides produced by a bacterium, xylinum. Xylinum, one species of the acetic acid bacterium, uses the sugar present in the tea and converts the sucrose into microfibrils of cellulose, constituting the supporting membrane, where the yeast nests and grows. The products of the yeast metabolism are excreted into the beverage and consist of numerous vitamins, including B1, B2, B3 and B12 vitamins, which are essential co-factors in bacterial growth (fig. 1a). The beverage’s composition of vitamins, glucuronic acid, usnic acid, tannins and gallates, which possess detoxifying as well as anti-oxidant properties, are responsible for its beneficial properties on human health and makes it very likely that Kombucha also has cosmetic benefits.