Scoby-Doo Unmasking the Gut Microbiota Through Hands-On Kombucha Making for Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62710/m6q09t22Keywords:
-, Keywords: First Keyword;kombucha Second keyword;probiotics Third Keyword;adolescents Fourth keyword;health education, Kata Kunci: Kombucha, probiotik, remaja, Pendidikan kesehatanAbstract
Gastrointestinal health is largely determined by the balance of the gut microbiota, a community of microorganisms that play a vital role in maintaining epithelial barrier function, modulating immune responses, and synthesizing essential metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and vitamins. Disruption of this balance can trigger dysbiosis, which is associated with various digestive, inflammatory, and metabolic disorders. Therefore, maintaining a healthy microbiota through the intake of natural probiotics is an important preventive step that should be promoted early among adolescents. Interactive counseling was combined with a kombucha-making demonstration and tasting, using a fun-learning approach themed “SCOBY-DOO” to engage participants. Twenty-seven ninth-grade students of SMP Al Ma’soem Jatinangor participated fully. Knowledge was assessed using parallel pre-test and post-test instruments on microbiota and probiotics, analyzed with a paired-samples t-test and Cohen’s d effect size. Analysis using the paired-samples t-test showed a significant increase in mean knowledge score from 80.96 on the pre-test to 92.85 on the post-test (p < 0.001). The Cohen’s d effect size was 1.03, falling in the large category, indicating a substantial impact of the intervention. Attendance reached 90%, and all participants enthusiastically completed every activity stage, including hands-on practice and discussion. Conclusion: The fun-learning educational approach combined with hands-on fermentation practice proved highly effective in improving adolescents’ digestive health literacy. Similar activities are recommended to be continued with longer discussion sessions and additional interactive media, such as digital quizzes or animated videos, to deepen participants’ understanding and reach more students
Downloads
References
Ambizas, E. M. (2025). Probiotics use in clinical practice. U.S. Pharmacist. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/probiotics-use-in-clinical-practice
Bhutta, N. K., Xu, X., Jian, C., Wang, Y., Liu, Y., Sun, J., Han, B., Wu, S., & Javeed, A. (2024). Gut microbiota mediated T cells regulation and autoimmune diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15, 1477187. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1477187
Chakravorty, S., Bhattacharya, S., Chatzinotas, A., Chakraborty, W., Bhattacharya, D., & Pal, R. K. (2016). Kombucha tea fermentation: Microbial and biochemical dynamics. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 220, 63–72.
Gea, S., Halawa, D., Zai, M., Nazara, S., & Zega, N. A. (2026). Identification of student misconception patterns in modern and conventional biotechnology concepts and remediation strategies: A literature review. Indo-MathEdu Intellectuals Journal, 7(1), 869–875.
Hodgkinson, K., El Abbar, F., Dobranowski, P., Manoogian, J., Butcher, J., Figeys, D., Mack, D., & Stintzi, A. (2023). Butyrate’s role in human health and the current progress towards its clinical application to treat gastrointestinal disease. Clinical Nutrition, 42(2), 61–75.
Jayabalan, R., Malbaša, R. V., Lončar, E. S., Vitas, J. S., & Sathishkumar, M. (2014). A review on kombucha tea—microbiology, composition, fermentation, beneficial effects, toxicity, and tea fungus. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 13(4), 538–550.
Kapp, J. M., & Sumner, S. S. (2019). Kombucha: A systematic review of the empirical evidence of human health benefit. Annals of Epidemiology, 29, 66–70.
Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. (2023). Pedoman gizi seimbang untuk remaja [Balanced nutrition guidelines for adolescents]. Jakarta: Directorate General of Public Health.
Kim, J., & Adhikari, K. (2020). Current trends in kombucha: Marketing perspectives and need for improved sensory research. Beverages, 6(1), 15.
Marsh, A. J., O’Sullivan, O., Hill, C., Ross, R. P., & Cotter, P. D. (2014). Sequence-based analysis of the bacterial and fungal compositions of multiple kombucha (tea fungus) samples. Food Microbiology, 38, 171–178.
Mukhopadhya, I., & Louis, P. (2025). Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids and their role in human health and disease. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 23(10), 635–651.
Nyhan, L., Sahin, A. W., Schmitz, H. H., Siegel, J. B., & Arendt, E. K. (2022). Microbial fermentation in food: Impact on functionality and nutritional value. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 13, 461–488.
Portincasa, P., Bonfrate, L., Vacca, M., De Angelis, M., Farella, I., Lanza, E., Khalil, M., Wang, D. Q. H., Sperandio, M., & Di Ciaula, A. (2022). Gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids: Implications in glucose homeostasis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(3), 1105.
Rezac, S., Kok, C. R., Heermann, M., & Hutkins, R. (2018). Fermented foods as a dietary source of live organisms. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 1785.
Sarita, B., Samadhan, D., Hassan, M. Z., & Kovaleva, E. G. (2025). A comprehensive review of probiotics and human health: Current prospective and applications. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15, 1487641.
Sharma, R., Padwad, Y., & Bhatt, A. K. (2022). Probiotic and functional properties of kombucha and its applications in food industry. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 62(20), 5497–5511.
Sonnenburg, J. L., & Sonnenburg, E. D. (2019). Vulnerability of the industrialized microbiota. Science, 366(6464), eaaw9255.
Tarracchini, C., Lugli, G. A., Mancabelli, L., van Sinderen, D., Turroni, F., & Ventura, M. (2024). The integrated probiotic database: A genomic compendium of bifidobacterial health-promoting strains. Microbial Biotechnology, 17(3), e14430.
Travis, E. (2023). Role of probiotics in the management of gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic meta-analysis. Research and Reports in Gastroenterology, 7, 2.
Turnbaugh, P. J., Ley, R. E., Hamady, M., Fraser-Liggett, C. M., Knight, R., & Gordon, J. I. (2007). The human microbiome project. Nature, 449(7164), 804–810.
Valdes, A. M., Walter, J., Segal, E., & Spector, T. D. (2018). Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ, 361, k2179.
Villarreal-Soto, S. A., Beaufort, S., Bouajila, J., Souchard, J. P., & Taillandier, P. (2018). Understanding kombucha tea fermentation: A review. Journal of Food Science, 83(3), 580–588.
Vinayamohan, P. G., Pellissery, A. J., & Venkitanarayanan, K. (2024). Role of probiotics in modulating gut microbiota and intestinal health: Current insights. Microorganisms, 12(2), 318.
World Health Organization. (2023). Adolescent health and well-being. Geneva: WHO Press.
Zubaidah, E., Ifadah, R. A., & Aprilia, V. (2019). The physical, chemical, and microbiological properties of kombucha during fermentation. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 230, 012102.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Siti Azyyati Nur Shadrina, Naadhira Lillianne Fania Istav, Kemal Isra Aminudin, Roro Ayu Terrani Kusuma Narindra, Putu Wecan Indah Wahyu Tamu, Anggaputra Risyad Febrirachmadi , Raden Muhammad Risyad Febrirachmadi , Rajendra Apta Riansa Putra, Hafizh Al-Ghazali Reizaputra, Naia Dalila Abdillah, Adinda Cleo Putri Panggabean, Gabriella Alexandra, Vita Indriasari (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
