Prospects of kefiran as a food-derived biopolymer for agri-food and biomedical applications

Abstract

<p>There is a huge demand for food-derived polysaccharides in the field of materials research due to the increasing concerns posed by synthetic biopolymers.</p>

Biomedical Applications of Bacterial Exopolysaccharides: A Review

“…30% [ 109 , 112 ]. The molecular weight of kefiran is in the range of 50–15,000 kDa and depends on the carbon source, the conditions of isolation, and purification [ 113 , 114 ]. This water-soluble EPS is reasonably resistant to hydrolysis.…”

Probiotic and Potentially Probiotic Yeasts—Characteristics and Food Application

“…In fermented milk products, Lactobacillus decomposes lactose (the main sugar in milk foods, which S. cerevisiae cannot metabolise) into galactose, providing carbon sources for yeasts. Next to galactose, lactic acid produced by LAB might also be used as a carbon source under aerobic condition, while the assimilation of the lactic acid under this condition might stimulate specific species of Lactobacillus to produce higher amounts of kefiran-a food-derived biopolymer with potential for use within food and biomedical applications [68,70,[76][77][78][79]. Moreover, probiotic and potentially probiotic yeast can be used in fermentation of grain products.…”

Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens: From Isolation and Taxonomy to Probiotic Properties and Applications

“…The physicochemical properties, such as the thermal stability, emulsifying capability and flocculating activity, of the heteropolymeric EPS of glucogalactan nature produced by L. kefiranofaciens strain ZW3 studied by FT-IR spectroscopy and GC analysis revealed that it exhibits higher emulsifying capability compared to commercially available hydrocolloids like xanthan gum, guar gum and locust gum [21]. A detailed overview of its multifarious applications in the agri-food and biomedical sectors has recently been published [106].…”

“…Due to its unique physicochemical and rheological properties, kefiran per se offers a wide spectrum of applications in the food industry by acting either as a biodegradable and edible coating and packaging material or as a texturing agent with important emulsifying and gelling effects [101,142]. In any case, it should also be noted that kefiran has been associated with promising bioactive properties, including antimicrobial, immunomodulating, anti-hypertensive and anti-tumor activities; thus, it can be considered suitable for both food and pharmaceutical applications with health-promoting benefits [106].…”