Keiran Culture

Drink of the Prophet Mohammad (Kefiran) originated in the Caucasus Mountains several centuries ago and was traditionally produced with caprine milk primarily by inhabitants closely associated with the herding of goats and sheep. Kefiran (DPM) has a rich history as it pertains to its genesis and spread throughout the regions of the Balkan and Caucasus regions of Eastern Europe; in fact, the origins of kefir predate written records. Because of its ancient and apparently mysterious origin, kefir was known in antiquity as the “Drink of the Prophet Mohammad” and the culture used to prepare it as the “Grains of the Prophet Mohammad”; it was believed that the Prophet of Islam, Mohammad, was given the original kefir grains by the AngelGabriel to be

These grains are composed of microorganisms immobilizedon a polysaccharide and protein matrix, whereseveral species of bacteria and yeast coexist in symbioticassociation. In this ecosystem there is a relatively stable microorganismpopulation, which interacts with and influencesother members of the community. This population providesthe synthesis of bioactive metabolites, which are essentialfor grain growth and microorganism inhibition, such asfood pathogens and contaminants(Farnworth, and Mainville, 2008). Kefir grains vary in size, from 0.3 to 3.0 cm in diameterare characterized by an irregular, multilobularsurface, united by a single central section, andtheir color varies from white to yellowish white. Thegrains

Of all the kefir starter microbial components, the microphillic homofermentative lactococci and acetic acid bacteria are the most active against coliforms.Van Wyk (2001) showed that kefir possesses an inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus,Bacillus cereus,Escherichia coli,Clostridium tyrobutyricum and Listeriamonocytogenes.Studies have also indicated that yeasts such as Torulaspora, whenseparated fromkefir, possess pronounced antimicrobial activity against coliforms (Powell, 2006 and Garrote,et al., 2010).The exact cause of the inhibition is not known, but may be due to the antagonistic action of various species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Garrote,et al., 2010 and Magalhães,et al., 2011). Lactic acid bacteria are also capable of preventing the adherence, establishment, replication, and pathogenic action of certain enteropathogens (Rea, et al. 1996).The