Water kefir as a functional beverage: A probiotic alternative to milk kefir
Subject Areas : Industrial Food Microbiology
1 - Department of Microbiology, Azadshahr branch, Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Iran
Keywords: Fermented beverage, Kefir, Probiotics, Water kefir ,
Abstract :
Probiotics are living microorganisms that have beneficial effects on human health when consumed in sufficient quantities. Meanwhile, kefir beverage is known as one of the most well-known and widely consumed probiotic dairy products worldwide. Given that some people are unable to consume milk and dairy products for reasons such as vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, or casein allergy, the need to find suitable alternatives to probiotic dairy products has become more important for them. Water kefir has attracted a lot of interest from these people. Water kefir is a traditional fruity, sour and slightly carbonated fermented beverage with a lactic acid content of up to 2% and alcohol usually less than 1%. This beverage is obtained by fermenting sugary water (instead of milk) containing sucrose and dried fruits by water kefir grains. Water kefir grains with a jelly-like and clear yellow color are composed of a polysaccharide matrix (mainly dextran) in which microorganisms including lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria and yeasts are embedded. Given the growing trend towards consuming probiotic products and fermented foods, achieving stable starter cultures, optimizing fermentation process conditions, and enhancing the sensory properties of this beverage are of great importance to enable its industrial production and widespread marketing. In addition, the possibility of using alternative substrates for fermentation by microorganisms present in water kefir grains is of particular importance in the development of this product. This review study aimed to introduce water kefir as a suitable alternative to dairy probiotic products and compare its characteristics with milk kefir.
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2. Ajam, F., and Koohsari, H. (2020). Effect of some fermentation conditions on antibacterial activity of fermented milk by kefir grains. J Food Process Preserv. 44(12): e14913.
3. Alsayadi, M., Al Jawfi, Y., Belarbi, M., and Sabri, F. Z. (2013). Antioxidant potency of water kefir. J Microbiol Biotechnol Food Sci. 2(6): 2444-2447.
4. Aspiras, B. E. E., Flores, R. F. A. C., and Pareja, M. C. (2015). Hepatoprotective effect of Fermented Water Kefir on Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus) induced with sublethal dose of Acetaminophen. International Journal of Current Science. 17: 18-28.
5. Azizi, N. F., Kumar, M. R., Yeap, S. K., Abdullah, J. O., Khalid, M., Omar, A. R., Osman, M. A., Mortadza, S. A. S., and Alitheen, N. B. (2021). Kefir and its biological activities. Foods. 10(6): 1210.
6. Beijerinck, M.W., 1889. Sur le kefir. Arch.s Neerlandaies des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles 23, 248-258.
7. Bergmann, R. S. D. O., Pereira, M. A., Veiga, S. M. O. M., Schneedorf, J. M., Oliveira, N. D. M. S., and Fiorini, J. E. (2010). Microbial profile of a kefir sample preparations: grains in natura and lyophilized and fermented suspension. Food Sci Technol. 30: 1022-1026.
8. Blaiotta, G., Di Capua, M., Romano, A., Coppola, R., and Aponte, M. (2014). Optimization of water curing for the preservation of chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) and evaluation of microbial dynamics during process. Food microbiology. 42: 47-55.
9. Bueno, R. S., Ressutte, J. B., Hata, N. N., Henrique-Bana, F. C., Guergoletto, K. B., de Oliveira, A. G., and Spinosa, W. A. (2021). Quality and shelf life assessment of a new beverage produced from water kefir grains and red pitaya. Lwt, 140: 110770.
10. Calatayud, M., Börner, R. A., Ghyselinck, J., Verstrepen, L., Medts, J. D., Abbeele, P. V. D., ... and Damak, S. (2021). Water kefir and derived pasteurized beverages modulate gut microbiota, intestinal permeability and cytokine production in vitro. Nutrients. 13(11): 3897.
11. Caro Velez, C. A., and León Peláez, Á. M. (2015). Capacidad antifúngica de sobrenadantes libres de células obtenidos de la fermentación de un sustrato de “panela” con gránulos de kefir de agua. Revista Colombiana de Biotecnología. 17.
12. Coma, M. E., Peltzer, M. A., Delgado, J. F., and Salvay, A. G. (2019). Water kefir grains as an innovative source of materials: Study of plasticiser content on film properties. European Polymer Journal. 120: 109234.
13. Corona, O., Randazzo, W., Miceli, A., Guarcello, R., Francesca, N., Erten, H., ... and Settanni, L. (2016). Characterization of kefir-like beverages produced from vegetable juices. LWT-Food Science and Technology. 66: 572-581.
14. Cosme, F., Inês, A., and Vilela, A. (2022). Consumer’s acceptability and health consciousness of probiotic and prebiotic of non-dairy products. Food Research International. 151: 110842.
15. Cufaoglu, G., and Erdinc, A. N. (2023). An alternative source of probiotics: Water kefir. Food frontiers. 4(1): 21-31.
, R. F. (2011). Profile of microbial communities present in tibico (sugary kefir) grains from different Brazilian States. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 27: 1875-1884.
17. Davidović, S. Z., Miljković, M. G., Antonović, D. G., Rajilić-Stojanović, M. D., and Dimitrijević-Branković, S. I. (2015). Water Kefir grain as a source of potent dextran producing lactic acid bacteria. Hemijska industrija. 69(6): 595-604.
18. Dong, J., Liu, B., Jiang, T., Liu, Y., and Chen, L. (2018). The biofilm hypothesis: The formation mechanism of Tibetan kefir grains. International Journal of Dairy Technology. 71: 44-50.
19. Duarte, W. F., Dias, D. R., Oliveira, J. M., Teixeira, J. A., e Silva, J. B. D. A., and Schwan, R. F. (2010). Characterization of different fruit wines made from cacao, cupuassu, gabiroba, jaboticaba and umbu. LWT-Food Science and Technology. 43(10): 1564-1572.
20. Fels, L., Jakob, F., Vogel, R. F., and Wefers, D. (2018). Structural characterization of the exopolysaccharides from water kefir. Carbohydrate polymers. 189: 296-303.
21. Fiorda, F. A., de Melo Pereira, G. V., Thomaz-Soccol, V., Rakshit, S. K., Pagnoncelli, M. G. B., de Souza Vandenberghe, L. P., and Soccol, C. R. (2017). Microbiological, biochemical, and functional aspects of sugary kefir fermentation-A review. Food Microbiology. 66: 86-95.
22. Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. (2002). Guidelines for the evaluation of probiotics in food. Report of a Joint FAO/WHOWorking Group on Drafting Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food.
23. Food and Drug Administration. (2021) Enhancing Retailer Standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
24. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. (2021). Standard 2.6.2 Nonalcoholic beverages and brewed soft drinks. https://www.foodstandards. gov.au/code/Documents/2.6.2%20Non-alco%20drinks%20v157.
25. Gamba, R. R., Koyanagi, T., Peláez, A. L., De Antoni, G., and Enomoto, T. (2021). Changes in microbiota during multiple fermentation of kefir in different sugar solutions revealed by high-throughput sequencing. Current Microbiology. 78(6): 2406-2413.
26. Gamba, R. R., Yamamoto, S., Sasaki, T., Michihata, T., Mahmoud, A. H., Koyanagi, T., and Enomoto, T. (2019). Microbiological and functional characterization of kefir grown in different sugar solutions. Food Science and Technology Research. 25(2): 303-312.
27. Garofalo, C., Ferrocino, I., Reale, A., Sabbatini, R., Milanović, V., Alkić-Subašić, M., ... and Osimani, A. (2020). Study of kefir drinks produced by backslopping method using kefir grains from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Microbial dynamics and volatilome profile. Food research international. 137: 109369.
28. Golowczyc, M. A., Silva, J., Teixeira, P., De Antoni, G. L., and Abraham, A. G. (2011). Cellular injuries of spray-dried Lactobacillus spp. isolated from kefir and their impact on probiotic properties. International journal of food microbiology. 144(3): 556-560.
29. Gonda, M., Garmendia, G., Rufo, C., León Peláez, Á., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S., and Vero, S. (2019). Biocontrol of Aspergillus flavus in ensiled sorghum by water kefir microorganisms. Microorganisms. 7(8): 253.
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