Biochemical and Functional Characterization of Kombucha tea or Probiotic bacteria and Their Preservative Action on Chicken Meat

ABSTRACT
Antibiotic residues in chicken meat pose significant health risks, including direct toxicity, antibiotic resistance, gut microbiota disruption and mutagenesis. The aim of this study is to detect the antibiotic residues in meat samples of chicken, evaluate the thermal stability of these residues, and investigate if the kombucha can be used as a growth promoter instead of veterinary antibiotics. Meat samples of total 41 chickens were collected randomly from various slaughterhouses in Cairo. Qualitative analysis using the Agar diffusion method was performed and quantitative analysis for positive samples were estimated by LC–MS/MS. The thermal stability of antibiotics was tested by boiling at 100°C for 30 minutes and freezing for 4 weeks at -18°C. Antibiotic residues were detected in 16%, 5%, and 5% of total samples for chlortetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and sulphadiazine, respectively, and in 11% for other antibiotics. Out of the 41 samples, 19 (46%) were violative, exceeding the Maximum Residue Limits set by the European Union. Boiling for 30 minutes could effectively eliminate antibiotic residues but freezing for 4 weeks at -18°C did not. Kombucha demonstrated growth-promoting effects in chickens, with the best performance observed when adding 80 ml per 1000 ml of drinking water.