Whey valorization concerns have led to recent interest on the production of whey beverage simulating kefir. In this study, the structure and microbiota of Brazilian kefir grains and beverages obtained from milk and whole/deproteinised whey was characterized using microscopy and molecular techniques. The aim was to evaluate its stability and possible shift of probiotic bacteria to the beverages....

Background Water kefir is a slightly sweet, acidic, fruity, sparkling, and slightly alcoholic fermented beverage produced with water kefir grains, the latter consisting of polysaccharides and micro-organisms. The micro-organisms involved in water kefir fermentation comprise yeast, lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and acetic acid bacteria. Some strains of micro-organisms in water kefir migh...

Kefir is a fermented milk drink produced by the actions of bacteria and yeasts contained in kefir grains, and is reported to have a unique taste and unique properties. During fermentation, peptides and exopolysaccharides are formed that have been shown to have bioactive properties. Moreover, in vitro and animal trials have shown kefir and its constituents to have anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic...

Kefir is a fermented milk-based beverage to which a number of health-promoting properties have been attributed. The microbes responsible for the fermentation of milk to produce kefir consist of a complex association of bacteria and yeasts, bound within a polysaccharide matrix, known as the kefir grain. The consistency of this microbial population, and that present in the resultant beverage, has...

Kefir is becoming increasingly popular as a result of new research into its health benefits. It is a fermented milk drink which has its origin in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. Kefir is prepared by inoculating milk with kefir grains which are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a symbiotic matrix. The common microorganisms present are non-pathogenic bacteria, especially Lactobacillus sp....

This study was aimed at evaluating the antimutagenic and antioxidant properties of milk-kefir and soymilk-kefir. Such antimutagenic activity was determined by means of the Salmonella mutagenicity assay, whereas the antioxidant properties of kefir were evaluated by assessing the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity, lipid peroxidation inhibition activity, ferrous ion ...

BACKGROUND Kefir is a unique cultured product that contains beneficial probiotics. Kefir culture from other parts of the world exhibits numerous beneficial qualities such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and anticancer effects. Nevertheless, kefir cultures from different parts of the world exert different effects because of variation in culture conditions and media. Breast cancer is the ...

The microflora of Tibetan kefir grains was investigated by culture- independent methods. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of partially amplified 16S rRNA for bacteria and 26S rRNA for yeasts, followed by sequencing of the most intense bands, showed that the dominant microorganisms were Pseudomonas sp., Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaci...

INTRODUCTION Kefir is obtained by fermentation of milk with complex microbial populations present in kefir grains. Several health-promoting benefits have been attributed to kefir consumption. OBJECTIVE The objective of this work was to conduct a subchronic toxicity study, offering the rats normal or high-doses of kefir and evaluating growth, hematology and blood chemistry, as well as assessin...

Kefir is an Old World food that has been attributed with exceptional health promoting and curative properties since the beginning of recorded history. It is a tangy, slightly fizzy (about 1% alcohol), fermented milk beverage that looks a little like yogurt. It is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, niacin, and folic acid. Kefir and yogurt were popular at the turn of the 20th century, when sc...