Influence of vitamin (B1, B6, B9, B12, C) and ions (Cu2+, Mn2+, PO43−) on kefir grain biomass growth

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 (CuSO 4 ·H 2 O, MnSO 4 ·H 2 O, and Na 3 PO 4 ·12 H 2 O) on the propagation of kefir grains. The activated kefir grains were inoculated into very low fat (0.1%) cows’ milk under constant temperature (25°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 Na 3 PO 4 ·12 H 2 O with a concentration of 0.30 g phosphate (PO 4 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.