Kefir-based antimicrobials are being proposed as promising natural biopreservatives. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Kefir, a fermented dairy beverage, exhibits antimicrobial activity due to many metabolic products, including bacteriocins, generated by lactic acid bacteria. In this study, the antimicrobial activities of artisanal kefir products from Fusion Tea (A), Britain (B), Ireland (I), Lithuania (L), the Caucuses region (C), and South Korea (K) were investigated against select foodborne pathogens.CWD 1198,serovar Enteritidis ATCC 13076,ATCC 25923, andATCC 14579 were inhibited by artisanal kefirs made with kefir grains from diverse origins. Kefirs A, B, and I inhibited all bacterial indicator strains examined at varying levels, exceptATCC 12435 (non-pathogenic, negative control). Kefirs K, L, and C inhibited all indicator strains, exceptATCC 25923 andATCC 12435. Bacteriocins present in artisanal kefirs were determined to be the main antimicrobials in all kefirs examined. Kefir-based antimicrobials are being proposed as promising natural biopreservatives as per the results of the study.