FORMULASI DAN UJI EFEKTIVITAS ANTIBAKTERI SEDIAAN GEL PEMBERSIH TANGAN BERBAHAN AKTIF WATER KEFIR

Pada penelitian ini telah dilakukan formulasi gel pembersih tangan (hand sanitizer) berbahan dasar alkohol dengan tambahan water kefir sebagai zat antimikrob. Penggunaan konsentrasi water kefir sebesar 1% (formula I), 1,5% (formula II), dan 2% (formula III) telah memberikan efektivitas antibakteri yang baik, dibuktikan dengan jumlah koloni bakteri yang berkurang sebesar 95%-99% setelah penggunaan gel pembersih tangan. Pengujian fisik didapatkan gel berbentuk semi padat, tidak berwarna, berbau khas gel pembersih tangan dan homogen. Derajat keasaman (pH) ketiga formula yaitu 5,76 ± 0,01; 5,69 ± 0,01; dan 5,56 ± 0,02 dengan viskositas 9680 ± 20; 9520 ± 20; dan 9260 ± 20 Cp.

Optimization of fermentation time and grain concentration for water kefir production from butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea)

Herbal tea is known rich in bioactive compounds and pigments. Herbal tea can be derived from Butterfly pea flowers. Butterfly pea has a high level of anthocyanins and flavonoid levels. However, butterfly pea has not been used optimally in fermentation products such as water kefir. Water kefir has many benefits and potential antioxidant sources. This research aimed to optimize fermentation time (24-48 hours) and concentration grain (5-15%) for the production of butterfly pea water kefir with a good antioxidant activity using response surface methodology. Central Composite Design was used to develop models of the response. The response used in this research is antioxidant activity, flavonoid, anthocyanin and brightness. The optimum condition was obtained at 36 hours 2 minutes of fermentation time, and 15% of grain concentration using Design Expert 10.01. The optimum combination for butterfly pea water kefir resulted in 58 ppm of antioxidant activity, 39 of brightness, 81 mg/g QE of flavonoid and 4.2 ppm of anthocyanin. A validation experiment showed that no significant difference between actual and predicted values based on paired t-test (p>0.05) using Minitab 17.0.

Water Kefir and Derived Pasteurized Beverages Modulate Gut Microbiota, Intestinal Permeability and Cytokine Production In Vitro

Fermentation is an ancient food preservation process, and fermented products have been traditionally consumed in different cultures worldwide over the years. The interplay between human gut microbiota, diet and host health is widely recognized. Diet is one of the main factors modulating gut microbiota potentially with beneficial effects on human health. Fermented dairy products have received much attention, but other sources of probiotic delivery through food received far less attention. In this research, a combination of in vitro tools mimicking colonic fermentation and the intestinal epithelium have been applied to study the effect of different pasteurized and non-pasteurized water kefir products on gut microbiota, epithelial barrier function and immunomodulation. Water kefir increased beneficial short-chain fatty acid production at the microbial level, reduced detrimental proteolytic fermentation compounds and increased Bifidobacterium genus abundance. The observed benefits are enhanced by pasteurization. Pasteurized products also had a significant effect at the host level, improving inflammation-induced intestinal epithelial barrier disruption and increasing IL-10 and IL-1β compared to the control condition. Our data support the potential health benefits of water kefir and demonstrate that pasteurization, performed to prolong shelf life and stability of the product, also enhanced these benefits.

Health-Promoting Properties of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei: A Focus on Kefir Isolates and Exopolysaccharide-Producing Strains

Among artisanal fermented beverages, kefir (fermented milk drink) and water kefir (fermented nondairy beverage) are of special interest because their grains can be considered natural reservoirs of safe and potentially probiotic strains. In the last years, several reports on Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (formerly Lactobacillus paracasei) isolated from both artisanal fermented beverages were published focusing on their health-promoting properties. Although this is not the predominant species in kefir or water kefir, it may contribute to the health benefits associated to the consumption of the fermented beverage. Since the classification of L. paracasei has been a difficult task, the selection of an adequate method for identification, which is essential to avoid mislabeling in products, publications, and some publicly available DNA sequences, is discussed in the present work. The last findings in health promoting properties of L. paracasei and the bioactive compounds are described and compared to strains isolated from kefir, providing a special focus on exopolysaccharides as effector molecules. The knowledge of the state of the art of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei from kefir and water kefir can help to understand the contribution of these microorganisms to the health benefits of artisanal beverages as well as to discover new probiotic strains for applications in food industry.

Pengaruh konsentrasi starter dan macam buah terhadap karakteristik kefir air

Water kefir is a probiotic drink as a result of fermentation by lactobacillus acid bacteria, acetobacter and yeast. Fruits and other ingredients could be added to obtain water kefir with specific flavor and aroma. This research aims to observe the effect of starter concentration and kind of fruit used on the characteristics of water kefir, and to determine the best combination preferred by the panelists. This study used two factorial randomized design with three repetitions. The factors used are the starter concentration (5 %, 8 %, and 11 %) and the kind of fruit used (snake fruit, pineapple, and papaya). Results showed that different starter concentration had an effect on brix, pH, alcohol content and density of water kefir, while different kinds of fruit had an effect on brix. Based on organoleptic test the most preferred water kefir is pineapple water kefir with 8 % starter concentration.