kefir contents

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Typical

Microflora Isolated from Batches of Kefir Grains Divided into Four Genus Groups

LACTOBACILLI

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lb. brevis

Lb. casei

Lb. casei subsp. rhamnosus

Lb. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum

Lb. paracasei subsp. paracasei

Lb. cellobiosus

Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus

Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis

Lb. fructivorans

Lb. helveticus subsp. lactis

Lb. hilgardii

Lb. kefiri

Lb. kefiranofaciens subsp. kefirgranum subsp. nov*

Lb. kefirgranum sp. nov**

Lb. parakefir sp. nov**

Lb. lactis

Lb. plantarum

STREPTOCOCCI/LACTOCOCCI

Lactococci lactis subsp. lactis

Lc. lactis var. diacetylactis

Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris

Streptococc lactis

St. salivarius subsp. thermophilus [rarely found in kefir or kefir grains]

Enterococcus durans

Leuconostoc cremoris

Leuc. mesenteroides

YEASTS

Candida kefir [can utilize lactose]

C. pseudotropicalis [can utilize lactose]

C. rancens

C. tenuis

Debaryomyces hansenii*** [can utilize

lactose]

Kluyveromyces lactis [can utilize lactose]

K. marxianus var. marxianus [can utilize lactose]

K. bulgaricus

K. fragilis / marxianus

Saccharomyces subsp. torulopsis

holmii

Sacc. carlsbergensis

Sacc. unisporus

Zygosaccharomyces rouxii***

ACETOBACTER

Acetobacter aceti

A. rasens

Units Count of Microbes in Gram

Stained Kefir Grains

Bacilli [single

cells, pair, chains]

Streptococci [pair, chains]

Yeast [single cells]

The Means Range

Bacilli 66,

62-69%

Streptococci 16, 11- 12%

Yeast 18, 16- 20% [11]

Evolution Sequence among Genus

Group of Organisms of Kefir during the Culture Cycle

Lactococci

> Lactobacilli > Leuconostoc > Yeast > Acetobacter

Microbial Composition of Kefir at

End of Fermentation [cfu/ml] ****

Lactococci :

1,000,000,000

Leuconostocs : 100,000,000

Lactobacilli : 5,000,000

Yeast : 1,000,000

Acetobacter : 100,000