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Kombucha is a fermented sweetened tea with a mixed fermenting culture of yeast and acetic acid bacteria. While the history of kombucha is not completely clear, it is now available around the world and has shown an increase in availability and demand in the United States market. The proponents of kombucha consumption tout the varied health benefits it can provide. The final kombucha flavor and composition is a function of both the initial tea used and the fermentation process. While the ascribed benefits are varied and numerous, the number of direct studies has been limited. This review focuses on the current state of understanding of the chemical composition and the potential health effects both positive and negative reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial root rot of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris) caused by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum is a disease problem recently described in the Intermountain West region of the United States. To ameliorate the impact of bacterial root rot on sucrose loss in the field, storage piles, and factories, studies were conducted to establish an assay for identifying host resistance. In 2006 and 2007, 21 commercial cultivars were evaluated in a petri dish laboratory assay. Root slices were inoculated with L. mesenteroides and the diameter of the rotted area was measured after 72 and 96 h. The cultivars were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. With 2006 roots after 96 h, the average rot diameter ranged from 16 to 34 mm (LSD = 5) depending on cultivar. With 2007 roots after 96 h, the average rot diameter ranged from 10 to 48 mm (LSD = 7) depending on cultivar. The cultivar ranking between years was correlated at 72 (r = 0.47, P = 0.03) and 96 (r = 0.43, P = 0.05) h. The assay allowed for reliable cultivar separation regardless of whether one, two, three, or four roots were used per replication. The laboratory assay has the potential to allow host resistance to bacterial root rot caused by L. mesenteroides to be improved in sugarbeet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]