Milk kefir: composition, microbial cultures, biological activities, and related products
نویسندگان
چکیده
In recent years, there has been a strong focus on beneficial foods with probiotic microorganisms and functional organic substances. In this context, there is an increasing interest in the commercial use of kefir, since it can be marketed as a natural beverage that has health promoting bacteria. There are numerous commercially available kefir based-products. Kefir may act as a matrix in the effective delivery of probiotic microorganisms in different types of products. Also, the presence of kefir's exopolysaccharides, known as kefiran, which has biological activity, certainly adds value to products. Kefiran can also be used separately in other food products and as a coating film for various food and pharmaceutical products. This article aims to update the information about kefir and its microbiological composition, biological activity of the kefir's microflora and the importance of kefiran as a beneficial health substance.
منابع مشابه
The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir
Kefir is a complex fermented dairy product created through the symbiotic fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts contained within an exopolysaccharide and protein complex called a kefir grain. As with other fermented dairy products, kefir has been associated with a range of health benefits such as cholesterol metabolism and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, antimic...
متن کاملAntimicrobial Peptides Derived from Milk: A Review
Milk proteins provide a natural source of bioactive peptides with potential health benefits and applications in the food industry. The release of these peptides from milk proteins is achieved either by hydrolysis using digestive proteases or by lactic acid bacteria fermentation. Peptides, particularly those derived from milk proteins, can exert a wide range of nutritional, functional and biolog...
متن کاملSequencing-Based Analysis of the Bacterial and Fungal Composition of Kefir Grains and Milks from Multiple Sources
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...
متن کاملNovel Starters for Value Added Fermented Dairy Products
Starter cultures are those microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, and molds or their combinations) that initiate and carry out the desired fermentation essential in manufacturing cheese and fermented dairy products such as Dahi, Lassi, Yogurt, Sour cream, Kefir, and Koumiss amongst others. Starter culture is defined as “an active microbial preparation, deliberately added to initiate desirable change...
متن کاملMicrobiological, technological and therapeutic properties of kefir: a natural probiotic beverage
Kefir is a fermented milk beverage produced by the action of bacteria and yeasts that exist in symbiotic association in kefir grains. The artisanal production of the kefir is based on the tradition of the peoples of Caucasus, which has spread to other parts of the world, from the late 19(th) century, and nowadays integrates its nutritional and therapeutic indications to the everyday food choice...
متن کامل