Title:Functional Properties of Kefiran in the Medical Field and Food Industry
Volume: 23
Issue: 3
Author(s): Afsaneh Salari, Mohammad Hashemi and Asma Afshari*
Affiliation:
- Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Keywords:
Kefir, kefiran, exopolysaccharide, prebiotic, medical field, food industry.
Abstract: Kefir is produced through the fermentation of milk using kefir grain as a starter culture. Kefir
grains include heterogeneous microorganisms embedded in a polysaccharide matrix called kefiran which
is considered a biofilm; it also has many uses due to its therapeutic values. Kefiran is a microbial exopolysaccharide
(EPS) obtained from the flora (acid-lactic bacteria and yeasts) of kefir grains and glucose
units, in almost the same proportion. Kefiran has prebiotic nature agitating the growth of probiotics
in the gastrointestinal tract of the human entity. It extends certain therapeutic benefits by balancing the
microbiota in the intestine. This review presents the most recent advances regarding kefir and kefiran,
their cultural condition, biological activities, and potential applications in the health and food industries.