Kefir Milk Enhances Intestinal Immunity in Young but Not Old Rats

Abstract

The adjuvant effect of kefir fermented milk on the mucosal and systemic immune systems was examined in young (6 mo old) and old (26 mo old) rats. Kefir-fed rats consisted of young or old rats consuming kefir-fermented milk ad libitum on a daily basis in addition to the standard diet, for 28 d. Control rats consumed only the standard diet. The rats were immunized intraduodenally with cholera toxin (CT) on d 7 and 21 and killed on d 28. The nonspecific serum immunoglobulin (Ig)A titers in kefir-fed and control rats did not differ in either age group. The serum anti-CT IgA antibody concentrations were significantly higher in the kefir-fed young rats compared with their age-matched controls (+86%, P: < or = 0.05). This difference was associated with enhanced in vitro antibody secretion by cultured lymphocytes isolated from the Peyer's patches and the intestinal lamina propria (+180%, P: < or = 0.05). These enhanced responses were found only in the young rats. However, the nonspecific serum IgG titer was higher (>120%, P: < or = 0.05) and the anti-CT IgG titer was lower (-80%, P: < or = 0.05), in both young and old kefir-fed rats compared with their respective controls. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate that a kefir-supplemented diet affects the intestinal mucosal and systemic immune responses to intraduodenal CT differently in young and old rats. Most importantly, our data suggest that orally administered kefir enhances the specific intestinal mucosal immune response against CT in young adult, but not in senescent rats.

Distal Mucosal Site Stimulation by Kefir and Duration of the Immune Response

“…Previous reports showed that kefir was able to enhance the specific intestinal mucosal immune response against cholera toxin (19). The immunodulating activity of kefir or kefiran (a polysaccharide found in kefir) in tumor bearing mice has been reported (18,20).…”

The Influence of Goat Milk and Soybean Milk Kefir On IL-6 and Crp Levels in Diabetic Rats

“…Administration of fermented milk can reduce CRP and TNF-α in rats with high fat diet and decrease the growth rate of mammary tumors through the reduction of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6) [11,12]. The fermented soybean has an anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines production [13] and kefir is one of the fermented products that is made of milk with a complex mixture of bacteria (lactobacilli, lactococci, leuconostocs, aceterobacteria) and yeast (lactose-fermenting and non lactose-fermenting) [14,15]. Kefir has antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic [16,17], and anti-hyperglycemic activities [18,19].…”

Physicochemical Properties of Kefir Manufactured by a Two-Step Fermentation

“…Kefir, a cultured milk beverage, originated in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia centuries ago and has been ascribed with many health benefits including antitumor activity (Shiomi et al, 1982), antimicrobial activity (Cevikbas et al, 1994), enhanced immune function (Thoreux and Schmucker 2001), stress relief (Kabayama et al, 1997), specific health benefit (Otle and Cagindi, 2003) and improved digestion (Safonova et al, 1979). This fermented milk product results from the collective action of multiple microorganisms present in kefir grains in milk (Liu et al, 2006).…”