Principal component analysis revealed the key influencing factors of kombucha bacterial cellulose yield and productivity

A long-term approach for turning waste into useful products might aid in sustaining the commercialization of kombucha tea by-products. Using principal component analysis (PCA), this study sought to investigate how eleven variables affect the yield of kombucha bacterial cellulose. The input variables that were included types of tea leaves and sugar concentrations, SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) mass, kombucha starter tea, temperature, pH, and fermentation time. PCA found 75 % of data variability in the first four principal components (PCs). The correlations between the input variables were examined using the correlation centroid plot. Biplot combines the optimal loading PCA plot with the correlation centroid that revealed the high concentration of sugar contributes to high yield of bacterial cellulose. The findings provided insight into the condensed criteria as a vital hint for both academia and industry in the pursuit of a high cellulose yield in kombucha.