Water kefir: factors affecting grain growth and health-promoting properties of the fermented beverage

PENDON DOLORES; BENGOA ANA AGUSTINA; IRAPORDA, CAROLINA; MEDRANO MICAELA; GARROTE GRACIELA; ABRAHAM ANALIA G.

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2021

1364-5072

In recent times, the interest in the consumption of healthy foods that modulate the immune systemhas increased. At the same time, some people spend time preparing handmade products. Water kefir is an ancient drink of uncertain origin which has been passed down from generation to generation and is currently consumed practically all over the world. However, it is necessary to establish and standardize the growing conditions, to obtain a reproducible product. The microbial ecosystem which is constituent part of the grains, and the fermented consumed beverage can vary according to the fermentation conditions (time and temperature) and especially with the use of different substrates (source of sugars, additives as fruits and molasses). In this sense, the populations of microorganisms as well as the metabolites that they produce, can vary. Both microorganisms and the metabolites have a beneficial impact on consumer health.Otherwise the knowledge of the variables affecting grain growth are also of discussed for its relevance in maintenance of the starter as well as the use of dextran for technological application. This work aims to shed light on the scientific works that have been published so far, in relation to this complex ecosystem.