The anti‐allergenic properties of milk kefir and soymilk kefir and their beneficial effects on the intestinal microflora

Abstract

Food allergy is now recognized as a worldwide problem, and like other atopic disorders its incidence appears to be increasing. Kefir is reported to possess the ability to reduce intestinal permeation of food antigens; however, no experimental study has clearly evaluated the relationships between kefir consumption, allergenspecific IgE response, and intestinal microflora. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral consumption of milk kefir and soymilk kefir on in vivo IgE and IgG1 production induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. The effects of kefir administration on the murine intestinal microflora were also examined. Oral administration of milk kefir and soymilk kefir for 28 days significantly increased the fecal populations of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while it significantly decreased those of Clostridium perfringens. Milk kefir and soymilk kefir also significantly decreased the serum OVA-specific IgE and IgG1 levels for both groups, but not those of the IgG2a analogues. Consumption of milk kefir and soymilk kefir suppressed the IgE and IgG1 responses and altered the intestinal microflora in our supplemented group, suggesting that milk kefir and soymilk kefir may be considered among the more promising food components in terms of preventing food allergy and enhancement of mucosal resistance to gastrointestinal pathogen infection. INTRODUCTIONFood allergy is characterized by an abnormal immunological reactivity to food proteins in certain genetically predisposed individuals. This response generates a wide variety of symptoms and clinical manifestations expressed in several affected organ systems such as the skin, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. 1 Food allergy is now recognized as a worldwide problem and, like other atopic disorders, it appears to be increasing. The prevalence of food allergy is greatest in the first few years of life, affecting about 6% of infants under 3 years of age but decreasing over the first decade. 2 Recent estimates suggest that nearly 4% of adults suffer food allergies, a prevalence much higher than appreciated in the past. 3 Further, food allergy remains a leading cause of anaphylaxis treated in emergency departments in a number of countries, and the public has become increasingly aware of the problem. As allergenspecific IgE is directly involved in the mediation of many allergic reactions, development of a method for inhibiting IgE production is a useful approach for preventing allergic diseases. Dietary studies have suggested that long-term consumption of yogurt can reduce some of the clinical symptoms of allergy in

Physicochemical Properties of Kefir Manufactured by a Two-Step Fermentation

“…This fermented milk product results from the collective action of multiple microorganisms present in kefir grains in milk (Liu et al, 2006).…”

Estudo Cristalográfico de Biofilmes de Kefir

“…Em 1982 [19] relatou a atividade antitumoral de um polissacarídeo solúvel em agua (KGF-C) isolado de grãos de kefir. O kefir possui algumas propriedades terapêuticas, tais como: nutricional [6,7,17,18], antitumoral [4,11], antibacteriana e antifúngica [2,20].…”

“…Em 1982 [19] relatou a atividade antitumoral de um polissacarídeo solúvel em agua (KGF-C) isolado de grãos de kefir. O kefir possui algumas propriedades terapêuticas, tais como: nutricional [6,7,17,18], antitumoral [4,11], antibacteriana e antifúngica [2,20].Pesquisas recentes estudaram a superfície [13] e a estrutura [5,13] de biofilmes a base de kefir, os quais demonstraram, respectivamente, que os biofilmes podem ter aplicações distintas, tais como: farmacológicas, já que apresentam uma distribuição uniforme de bactérias nativas do kefir (que são os microrganismos que combatem outros através da competição) na sua superfície e na indústria de alimentos com a obtenção de filme impermeável para a embalagem.Nesta pesquisa, buscou-se estudar a cristalinidade de biofilmes de kefir produzidos com açúcar branco, que é refinado e ao contrário do açúcar mascavo, que possui muitos nutrientes, ele tem maior carga de sacarose e ainda retira minerais do organismo humano para poder ser digerido [1]. …”

201 Kefir Induces Cell-Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in HTLV-1 Negative Malignant T-Lymphocytes

“…3,11 Kefir also seems to be a promising compound in terms of the enhancement of mucosal resistance to gastrointestinal pathogen infection. 12,13 In addition, kefir was found to have antiallergic and antimutagenic effects. 8,12,14 Kefir as a complex fermented milk, together with its cell-free fraction (KF), was able to exert beneficial effects on the immune system and prevent several types of cancer: 15 Ehrlich carcinoma or Sarcoma 180, Lewis lung carcinoma, E-ascites carcinoma (EC), human mammary cancer (MCF-7), and human T-lymphotropic virus-(HTLV)-positive malignant T-lymphocytes.…”

“…12,13 In addition, kefir was found to have antiallergic and antimutagenic effects. 8,12,14 Kefir as a complex fermented milk, together with its cell-free fraction (KF), was able to exert beneficial effects on the immune system and prevent several types of cancer: 15 Ehrlich carcinoma or Sarcoma 180, Lewis lung carcinoma, E-ascites carcinoma (EC), human mammary cancer (MCF-7), and human T-lymphotropic virus-(HTLV)-positive malignant T-lymphocytes. [16][17][18][19] The present study aims to test the cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and proapoptotic effects of a cell-free fraction of kefir on human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-negative leukemia cell lines.…”