Türkçe

Abstract

Interest in milk kefir and water kefir, which are important sources of probiotics, has increased even more after the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to regulating the human digestive system and supporting the immune system, probiotic bacteria have been found to have positive effects on health in scientific studies. In addition to the probiotics they contain, the metabolites formed by fermentation also make important contributions to healthy living. Water kefir is an important source especially for individuals with allergies/intolerance to animal products and vegan diets. Water kefir contains various lactic acid bacteria, typically Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus spp., acetic acid bacteria and yeasts such as Saccharomyces spp. The Moringa oleifera plant has come to the fore in recent years for its nutritional content; its leaves are rich sources of β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and polyphenols. M. oleifera is known to have high antioxidant activity, mainly due to its high content of flavanoids.

In this study, it was aimed to ferment M. oleifera leaves with water kefir culture to obtain a functional product, to determine the fermentation parameters and suitability and to determine the microbial, chemical and sensory properties of the product obtained. Water kefir fermentation was carried out with M. oleifera and at the end of fermentation, acidity increased and lactic acid bacteria and yeasts grew. The energy content of the fermented product was 3 kcal/100g, carbohydrate content was 0.64 g/100g and dietary fiber content was <0.65 g/100g. In the obtained product, lactic acid was determined as 1684 ppm and acetic acid as 1033 ppm by liquid chromatographic method. The results indicate that Moringa oleifera water kefir constitutes a significant product in terms of antioxidant capacity, owing to its total phenolic content, TEAC value, and phenolic compound composition. It was concluded that M. oleifera could be an alternative substrate for low energy water kefir production.