<![CDATA[Chronic inflammation may impair tissue healing and is associated with the development of various degenerative conditions, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, obesity, and cancer. One of its major triggers is oxidative stress. Muntingia calabura leaves, rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds, hold potential as functional food ingredients but remain underutilized. This study explored Muntingia calabura leaves as a novel substrate for kombucha and evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of Muntingia calabura kombucha (MCK). The physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity (DPPH method) of MCK were compared with non-fermented Muntingia calabura beverage (MCB). Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed in vivo using carrageenan-induced inflammation in male mice. Data were processed using one-way ANOVA, followed by a post hoc comparison at a significance level of α = 0.05, performed in Minitab 17. MCK exhibited significantly higher total phenolic content (51.15 ± 0.34 mg GAE/mL) and antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 20.53 ± 0.43 ppm) compared to MCB (p < 0.05). MCK also demonstrated greater anti-inflammatory activity, achieving 70.25% edema inhibition at the 4th hour, higher than MCB (64.78%). Fermentation enhanced the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory activity of Muntingia calabura leaves. MCK shows promise as a locally-sourced functional beverage to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation-related conditions.]]>
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