Influence of vitamin (B1, B6, B9, B12, C) and ions (Cu2+, Mn2+, PO4 3-) on kefir grain biomass growth

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of additions of various vitamins (B-1, B-6, B-9, B-12, and C) and minerals (CuSO4 center dot H2O, MnSO4 center dot H2O, and Na3PO4 center dot 12 H2O) on the propagation of kefir grains. The activated kefir grains were inoculated into very low fat (0.1%) cows' milk under constant temperature (25A degrees C) and impeller speed (100 rpm) for a propagation time of 24 h. After evaluation of the experimental data, the most influential mineral addition providing 39% increase of kefir grain biomass was found to be Na3PO4 center dot 12 H2O with a concentration of 0.30 g phosphate (PO4 (3-)) ion/L. At this optimal condition, a model was also derived for the kefir grain biomass concentration representing pH dependence. This study demonstrated the basis for further research in the direction of kefir grain biomass growth considering the effect of additions of vitamins and minerals to other researchers working in the same field and to dairy industry as well.